Vernal Equinox

From http://www.weather.com/, here is today's weather forecast for the first day of Spring, the Vernal Equinox: High 36 degrees. Intermittent snow showers and windy this morning. Peeks of sunshine later. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 40%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Lovely, do I really enjoy the joys of all four seasons?

Widget1000 Spam

Here is the text from a comment left on one of my blog posts:

anthony bremond has left a new comment on your post "Pittsburgh Penguins Season Opener - 10/5/2007":

Dear Mr,
I'm an intern with startup widget 1000 and I created a news widget for Pittsburgh Penguins News.It's updated every hour with Pittsburgh Penguins headlines from several different sports websites like ESPN, FOX Yahoo,etc. (Take a look: www dot widget1000 dot com). Can we add Pittsburgh Penguins blog to the widget,too? That means that every time you post to your blog the headline of the post will show up on the widget and link directly to your post. Anyone who puts this widget on their start page or on their website will see your Pittsburgh Penguins posts too. It's a powerful and free way to publicize your site. Finally, would you add your Pittsburgh Penguins News Widget to your site so that others can see it? Everyone who grabs the widget will automatically link to you so it's great for your search engine rankings. Plus, it shows a lot of stories about Pittsburgh Penguins and since it's updated every hour it is fresh and will make your site even more appealing than it already is.
What do you think?
Go Pittsburgh Penguins
Anthony Bremond

I am all for free enterprise, but I did a search on Google for "widget1000" and found the above text on a bunch of other blogs. The only thing that was different was that the name of the sports team had been changed. Google also found advertisements for widget1000's paid services. Obviously, I rejected this comment on my blog. You are not going to make a buck off of my blog.

Sunglasses of Justice

CSI: Miami has become my favorite of the 3 CSI franchise television shows. I used to really like the original, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, but have lost interest recently. The original CSI always had interesting, odd, puzzles to solve, which was the main appeal to me. David Caruso's portrayal of Horatio Caine is the reason why I like CSI: Miami so much. At times, his acting can be a little over the top. Horatio always gets the bad guy, and he does it while being as cool as a cucumber with a heart for the victim. Horatio Caine is infamous for his one-liners at the beginning of each show. The content and delivery of the one-liners make them unique. Here is a YouTube link to a whole 7 minutes of Horatio Caine one-liners, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcD0Mmyp3f4. Enjoy!

Driver Pet Peeves

Here is a my list of pet peeves about drivers:

1. Talking on a cell phone while driving - this is my absolute #1 pet peeve about drivers. I have tried to drive and talk on a cell phone at the same time, but I only have two hands, not three. If you are going to use your cell phone while driving, please use a handsfree headset.


2. Driving slow in the passing lane - Why is it that slow drivers in the passing lane are totally clueless that they are causing a huge backup of vehicles? Cars do come with something called mirrors.


3. Non use of turn signals - cars have turn signals for a reason, to let other drivers know you are changing directions.


4. Leaving you turn signal on - this is almost as bad as not using your turn signal. Are you turning or not? It only takes on quick flick of the wrist to turn off a turn signal.
   

I will stop complaining now.

I Scream for Ice Cream

National Blog Posting Month has a theme for March, LISTS. The goal is to post every day for a month. Obviously, I am already ten days late, but LISTS are an idea that I have overlooked to add variety to my posts. Even though I watch my diet very carefully, I do have some "cheat" foods, and Ice Cream is my favorite cheat food. Ice Cream has changed - you can buy sugar free and double/slow churned versions with less fat. Another thing that has changed is the container size - no more half gallons. Anyway, here are my top 5 favorite flavors, starting with my most favorite:

1. Cookies N Cream - brings me back to the days as a young kid eating cookies and milk before going to bed.


2. Mint Chocolate Chip - the chocolate chips and the mint ice cream are a great pairing.


3. Vanilla - a classic, sounds basic, but you can add almost any topping to Vanilla ice cream and it still tastes great. I particularly prefer brands where you can see the vanilla bean specks.


4. Moosetracks - the perfect combination of everything that is bad but tastes so good.


5. Chocolate - double, triple, with fudge, chocolate chips, or anything with chocolate ice cream as the base is just outstanding.

Yes, I still eat ice cream in the winter, even if my body temporarily gets the chills after eating a few scoops.

Workout Rewind – February 2008

In February, I decided I needed to get back in shape after my layoff from tennis elbow. I managed to fit in at least one, sometimes two, and one week actually three weightlifting sessions. I aggravated my tennis elbow a few times due to removing snow and/or ice from my car. For my upper body, I have limited my range of motion to only partial repetitions. The elbow still bothers me, so I am reluctant to complete full range of motion repetitions. Maybe I am being too cautious, but I do not want to re injure myself.

The Power of The Pensblog

My favorite Pittsburgh Penguins blog, The Pensblog, is known for it's creative photoshops. Another blogger recently "stole" some photoshops from The Pensblog. Not a smart move. The Pensblog and its readers basically flooded the photoshop thief with comments and the thief had no choice but to take down the stolen photoshops. Readers of The Pensblog are numerous, united in their love of the Pens, and united when it comes to a cause. Do not underestimate the power of bloggers, in particular, the Power of the Pensblog.

Myron Cope Passes Away at 79

Mryon Cope, writer, legendary broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the inventor of the Terrible Towel, and a pioneer in sports talk radio, died today at the age of 79. My prayers go out to the Cope family.

Pittsburgh Penguins Blogs

With the Pittsburgh Penguins having another great season and the blockbuster Marian Hossa trade, I thought I would list my favorite Pittsburgh Penguins Blogs. So here goes:

• Pittsburgh Penguins, The Official Web Site - No explanation needed here. Go here for the official schedule, stats, etc.
• THE PENSBLOG - This is a great website run by a group of die hard Pens fans. The guys here make liberal use of reader submitted Photoshop pics, which at times have made me fall off of my chair laughing. Warning, do not visit this blog if you are easily offended my male, testosterone driven humor.
• Faceoff-Factor - a little bit more cerebral than THE PENSBLOG.
• Pittsburgh Sports Insider - these guys usually have the latest breaking news. Not just the Penguins, but all Pittsburgh Sports teams.
• 105.9 the X - the official radio broadcast station for the Penguins games. You can listen to the games live on 105.9 FM, or listen live on the internet.

The Symphony Over Lunch?

I brought my vehicle to the Sears at Ross Park Mall to get my tires rotated. I was pleasantly surprised that the Three Rivers Symphonette was performing at the mall. The Symphonette is comprised of 35 students, aged 10-15, strings only. Classical music usually is not my thing, I am more of an alternative rock kind of guy. These kids were very good, their parents should be proud of their hard work and dedication. Hats off to the Ross Park Mall for bringing these kids in to perform.

Winter Driving Tips

The last two days have been an adventure driving to and from work. I feel fortunate that I do not have to drive on any of the Parkways to go to work. I live in Northern Allegheny County and drive up Route 8 to Butler. Even though I avoid the traffic jams of the Parkways, I have to deal with Penndot's less than desirable snow and ice removal on Route 8. You know immediately when you have crossed the Allegheny/Butler County line. I am not an expert on winter driving, but I wanted to share information on how to drive in the winter. Rather than me writing my personal observations, I used Google, and found what I believe to be, one website with very good overall winter driving tips. I could have provided links to several sites, but I found that AAA has a downloadable publication which seems to cover just about everything. It is called "How To Go On Ice And Snow". Please take the time to read it and be safe out there.

Year of the Rat

Happy Chinese New Year! 2008 is the Year of the Rat. If you are interested in the Chinese Zodiac, some attributes of the Rat are: Rats are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs. The Chinese New Year is sometimes called the Lunar New Year. If you collect stamps, see the stamp issued this year by the United States Postal Service.

Back on the Bench

Yesterday, I made my first attempt in 3 months to exercise my upper body. I have been on a self imposed, but wise, decision to let my elbow tendonitis heal since the beginning of November. My elbow is not entirely healed yet, but I really need to do something before my body turns into Jello. My weight and percentage bodyfat has not changed significantly in 3 months, but my body seems to have re-distributed itself. I do not want to re-aggravate my elbow tendonitis, so I was very careful with my workout. Yesterday, I attempted some bench presses with a few differences from my normal routine. I dropped the poundages to one-third of my normal poundages and I completed only partial repetitions so my arms were not fully extended with elbows locked. So how do I feel? My chest is actually a little sore. It is probably a result of my inactivity and not the actual poundages. I also completed the partial repetitions very slowly and with good form. One of my objectives from last night was to get my body accustomed to the movement again, muscle memory as it is called. My elbow is not sore today, so it seems like I accomplished what I wanted to. I am pleased that I am taking baby steps to getting back into the groove of things.

Tennis Elbow Update - 2/4/2008

I saw my hand surgeon this AM for a follow up visit after receiving a cortisone shot one month ago. I had an 8:30AM appointment and was pleasantly surprised by the non-existent wait time and the very pretty receptionist who could have a second career as a model. Anyway, my grip strength has improved but is not quite equal to the grip strength in my good arm. The Doc recommended gripping/carrying items with my elbow bent versus elbow extended straight out. Also, I should carry items palm up versus palm down. This puts less stress on the elbow. My Doc likes to spread out cortisone shots every 3 months if necessary. I should also wear a Band-It elbow strap as needed. He did not schedule a follow up appointment. Instead I am supposed to schedule an appointment if my progress starts to go backwards.

Later Sunsets

As I was driving home yesterday after work around 5:30PM I noticed something strange - the sun had not set yet, there was still some daylight, the days are actually getting longer ! This winter has been blah for me. I stopped working out in November to let my elbow tendonitis heal and I really have not been able to get back into any type of consistent workout routine. My physical therapy sessions were $30 a session, even with my insurance covering the rest of it. I am not looking forward to my credit card bill next month. Shopping for winter clearance clothes is even depressing - everything is either black, gray, navy blue, dark green, or dark red. Winter colors are so boring. I need something to snap me out of the winter doldrums. Hopefully, more sunlight and an earlier Daylight Savings on March 9th will energize me.

Al Gore, No Inconvenient Truth Today

Al Gore, there is no"Inconvenient Truth" today, it is damn cold. Even though I should be acclimated to setting my thermostat at 69 degrees, it is a very cold 69 degrees. Here is a breakdown of what I am wearing today inside my house: Head - Nike baseball hat turned backwards; Upper Body - Reebok Play Dry compression T-shirt, Reebok Play Dry Thermal Long Sleeve Mock Turtleneck, cotton full zip front sweatshirt; Lower Body - Champion Duo Dry sports brief, Under Armour Cold Gear leggings, cotton sweatpants; Feet - wool socks, Nike running shoes.

Tennis Elbow Update

I saw my hand surgeon this morning for a re-evaluation of my tennis elbow after 6 weeks (12 sessions) of physical therapy. My Doctor measured my grip strength and said my strength had not dramatically improved. My Doc said it can take 6 to 9 months to fully heal. He gave me the options of allowing more time to heal by itself, or have a cortisone injection. He recommended the cortisone shot since my grip strength did not improve a lot. My physical therapist suggested 2 weeks (4 sessions total) of additional physical therapy and my doctor agreed to this. I will see my doc in one month to see if the cortisone shot worked. I will keep you updated.

Drive Time

No, this is not a post about being stuck in traffic on the Parkway. The second DVD drive that I installed in my PC died yesterday. It was a Sony DVD writer and only worked for almost 3 years. Of course, it only had a one year warranty, so I replaced it with a DVD writer drive that I was saving for my unbuilt new PC. I sent an e-mail to Sony tech support complaining about the quality of the drive. I doubt if they will even reply since I was not asking for tech support. The drive is dead, trust me. The very first DVD drive I installed 4 years ago was only a reader, not a burner. It was made by a no name company, Pacific Digitial, and died about one month after the one year warranty. My PC is seven years old and surprisingly the original CD writer drive still works. It is very slow compared to today's technology and makes a horrible grinding noise, but it still works. I also took some time to dust out my computer case, the cooling fans, etc. I will have to wait and see how long this drive will last.

Happy 2K8

Happy New Year to everyone!

Letterman Strikes Deal With Writers/Bloggers

Worldwide Pants, the production company for "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson", has reached an interim agreement with the Writers Guild of America. So what does this mean? Most late night talk shows are scheduled to return to the air next Wednesday. These two late night talk shows will be the only ones with material written by professional writers.

What have the Late Show writers been doing since the strike began? Blogging of course. Here is a link to the Late Show Writers Blog. You will find the infamous "Top 10 Lists" along with a lot of short videos. If you have not guessed, yes, I am a night owl.

Private Practice

Being the day after Christmas, there was not much to watch on TV, so as I was channel surfing, I came across ABC's "Private Practice". I thought it was a good show. However, in real life, you will never find a private practice where the doctors, both male and female, are so good looking.

Annual Pitt Christmas Luncheon

I had lunch today with two buddies who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering. It is an annual tradition that started some time ago. I actually graduated the same year as Jim. Gerry graduated about 10 years earlier than Jim and I. Jim and Gerry grew up together and act like younger and older brothers. Jim and Gerry followed their engineering education and are actually employed as real engineers. I got my MBA Degree from the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business, worked in Finance, then moved on to the IT field, my true calling, my gift, my curse. I have no regrets and am very happy working in the IT field. We have been lunching at a Pizza shop on Fifth Avenue for who knows how long. The conversation, pizza, and company was good - as it always is. We will probably get together again later next year for our annual Pirates game. Hopefully the annual tradition of a Pirates losing season will not continue.

Merry Christmas

Wishing Everyone a Very Merry Christmas !

Christmas LED Pics

Cynthia from My Brilliant Mistakes asked me how my LED Christmas lights look compared to regular incandescent bulbs. Here are a few pics I took with my Canon A520. This is the first time I have taken photos in the dark with my camera, so I am not sure how these will turn out. The LED lights were placed inside the window and not outside. The window glass kind of softens the LED's and creates some glare. They would look much better from outside, if they were placed outside. I enjoy viewing the lights from inside, and I think the LED's are just as bright as incandescent bulbs. I will let you judge for yourself. The lights are not perfectly straight, so I will never be able to compete with the Griswold's. This is a view from the street:






This is a view from the sidewalk:

This is an interior view from one of my bedroom windows:

When I bought these LED's at Wal Mart, another shopper spoke to me and said we live in a throw away society. He preferred to pay $2.00 for a 50 light incandescent set versus $10.00 for a 60 light LED set.

This year, the Capital Christmas Tree in Washington, DC was lit with LED lights.

Green Christmas

I decided to have a Green Christmas this year. Instead of the usual incandescent mini lights in my windows, I bought LED mini lights from my local Wal Mart. They were reduced from $10.00 to $7.00. Sure they are more expensive upfront, but in the long run, I will save money in energy costs. Just do not expect me to compete with Al Gore for the next Nobel Prize.

Let's Wait Till the Last Minute

In the winter, why do people wait until the first or second snowfall to figure out that their vehicle needs new tires? I took a day off from work today to get my physical therapy session, get an oil change for my car, and just catch up with stuff at home. I usually go to the local Wal Mart to get an oil change. This morning, around 10:15AM, there were six customers ahead of me. I think everyone was there to get new tires, wiper blades, or a new battery - all stuff you should take care of before winter. Everyone procrastinates, but when it comes to safe winter driving, I like to get prepared for winter in the fall.

Pay It Forward

I did my good deed for the day today. As I left the Target on Route 8 in Gibsonia, I saw two people in the parking lot talking on cell phones. One was a gray haired adult male and the second person was a female teenager. It was kind of strange seeing two people standing six feet apart talking on cell phones. As I was about to start my car up, the older gentleman asked me if I had a set of booster cables that he could borrow to help the young lady. The gentleman used his pickup truck to attempt to jump start the teenager's vehicle, but the battery was just too dead. The gentleman handed the booster cables back to me because he did not want to take too much of my time. I told him I was sorry that the booster cables were not able to help the young lady's car. The two did know each other, either from church or the girl's parents. The girl's car had a temporary vehicle registration in the back windshield, so I assumed she was driving a recently bought used vehicle.

Usually I do not like to help strangers, but it was a lighted parking lot with surveillance cameras, so I thought it would be safe. It was a nice feeling helping someone out, even if the outcome was not the best. You may have heard of the movie "Pay It Forward". It was based on the novel of the same name and there is actually a Pay It Forward Foundation.

10 Things I Love/Hate About Winter

Since we had our first taste of winter yesterday, I am reposting from last year 10 Things I Love/Hate About Winter:

Here are 10 things I like about Winter, in no particular order:

1. When I get home from work, it is dark, so I do not feel guilty about taking a nap.
   
2. Snow makes Christmas much more special.


3. I do not have to mow the lawn.


4. It is too cold to hand wash my car.


5. I can gain some weight and hide it with a baggy sweatshirt.


6. I like wearing boots instead of sneakers in the winter.


7. I like wearing a beanie/skull cap in my cold basement when I workout.


8. I can be late for work because of the weather.
   
9. I can catch up watching my collection of DVD’s because I spend more time indoors.


10. The Pittsburgh Penguins.
    

Here are 10 Things I hate about winter, in no particular order:

1. There are less hours of sunlight. I wake up in the dark, and leave work in the dark.


2. I have to shovel snow.
   
3. I have to drive in snow and ice.


4. Waterproof boots are never waterproof.


5. My car gets all salted up, and it is too cold to wash my baby.


6. My basement is cold, my workout equipment is in the basement, so I workout in a cold basement.


7. My head gets cold because I refuse to wear a hat which would ruin my hair.


8. I have to wear layers of clothes to keep warm, then I feel too warm because I am wearing layers of clothes.


9. My nose gets dry, so I get a lot of nosebleeds.


10. My skin gets very dry, so my fingertips crack. Very painful.
    

Weekly Workout Rewind - 11/25/2007

After a 3 week layoff, I am back to cardio and leg only workouts. It is a weird feeling trying to get back into any rhythm, even just fitting in cardio on a regular basis. I am also completing a series of exercises recommended by my physical therapist for my tennis elbow. I can mimic everything from physical therapy at home except for the ultrasound treatments. I have noticed a small improvement in my elbow. Shaking someone's hand is not as painful on my elbow as it used to be, so that is a good sign. My health insurance for physical therapy is not the best, so I am only going to take two sessions per week instead of three. I am in the middle of watching the Steelers game, posting here, and winding down the day to get up earlier than normal for work, so I am signing off now. Later.

Pitt Wins Backyard Brawl

Pitt just won the Backyard Brawl versus West Virginia. I am a Pitt Alum, so WOO HOO! I guess there will not be any couch burning celebrations in Morgantown this year.

NaBloPoMo-Results

So, how did I do with National Blog Posting Month, NaBloPoMo? I found out about NaBloPoMo on November 10, 9 days after the official start, so I missed 9 posts. Since November 10, I have only missed one post. That was due to the WiFi not working at the hotel I was staying at while out of town on business. I have enjoyed the challenge of posting everyday in November. I am hoping this dedication motivates me to post more often.

Panera Post

My favorite restaurant for a salad at lunch is Panera. I am hooked on the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. If the you at the nutritional info, it has more fat than you think it would. It is not the healthiest salad around, but it is very tasty. What do I like about this salad? The chicken, the wide variety of greens, the dehydrated apples, the almonds, the tasty dressing, and of course the Whole Grain baguette. Aside from the salad itself, I enjoy the atmosphere at Panera.

I eat a lot of salads for lunch, usually once a week at McDonalds, Wendys, and Panera. Of course, Panera is a bit pricey, but I like to treat myself once a week. The clientele at Panera is a little different than McDonalds. Mickey D's is usually full of Moms with kids under the age of 5. Panera caters to a different crowd - senior citizens, young and older professionals, not too many moms with kids. I will review my other favorite lunchtime salads in upcoming posts. Stay tuned.

GetGo WetGo Review

What is WetGo, a new diaper/undergarment to compete against Depends? No, WetGo is GetGo's name for it's automated car wash. A co-worker gave me a coupon for a free car wash at GetGo which had an expiration date of 12/3. I decided to try it out after lunch, so I went to the GetGo on Route 8 in Butler, PA. I assume my experience will be the same at other WetGo locations. I went inside and the cashier gave me a receipt with an access code printed on it. There was actually an attendant at the start of the car wash who keyed in the access code and gave very brief instructions. I was told to put my car in neutral as I drove onto a conveyor belt which ran under my driver side tires. The conveyor belt eventually grabbed my tires and pulled me into and through the car wash. It was a strange feeling being sucked into the car wash - the sounds, not being able to see out the windows. It was painless and at the end of the car wash, a green lit light indicating it was ok to put my car into drive and head on out. So, how well did it clean my car? My car was moderately dirty, and car wash actually did a good job of cleaning my car. I would rate it 7 of of 10. The rinse cycle was a little short so I was not as pleased with the rinse cycle. The short rinse cycle contributed to some streaking on the windows. My car is a hatchback and has a windshield wiper on the rear window that is a little loose. I was afraid that the car wash would knock off the wiper blade, but it did not. This may sound strange, but I have owned my car for 5 years and have always hand washed/waxed it. Until today. With winter coming, I may consider get more car washes at the WetGo at GetGo.

Van Halen Reunion Tour Rolls into the Burgh 3/21

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported that Van Halen will perform at the Civic Arena on March 21, 2008. I grew up listening to Van Halen, from high school, to college, to grad school. I have almost every album/CD they released. Ticket sale dates will be announced soon.

Hot Metal Bike/Pedestrian Bridge Opens

From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the Hot Metal Bridge for bikers and pedestrians officially opened today after a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony. This is good news for all bikers and helps promote Pittsburgh as a bike friendly city.

Reaper Review

Another new TV show that I have enjoyed watching this season is Reaper on the CW Network. The parents of the main character, Sam, promised their firstborn son to the Devil, in exchange for wiping out the father's gambling debts. When Sam turns 21, he learns he must become a bounty hunter for the Devil. The supporting cast of characters is great - The Devil and Sam's best friend/slacker buddy "Sock" are hilarious. In each episode, Sam must creatively use a vessel (like a Dirt Devil) to capture lost souls. It is a good show, check it out on CW's website.

PT Session 1

I had my first physical therapy session for my elbow tendonitis today. The PT is a young guy (younger than me) in his early 30's. The session was not too bad. He tested my range of motion, used ultrasound with heat, then the only painful part was when he massaged my tendon, followed by ice. He said the treatment was pretty cut and dry, and he seems to know what he is doing. I will keep you updated.

PT

I saw my hand surgeon today for my elbow tendinitis, and he recommended 6 weeks of physical therapy (PT), 2 to 3 sessions a week. I saw a physical therapist about 15 years ago for Plantar fasciitis (heel pain). It really did not help back then. The real solution was getting a pair of custom made arch supports, orthotics. I am not sure how I feel about getting physical therapy. I guess I was hoping for an immediate solution, but I will try to keep an open mind. Way back then physical therapy was not very common, but today PT is fairly common.

Parts is Parts

I spent Thanksgiving weekend at my mother's house in the South Hills with my older and younger brother. On my way back home to the Northern part of Allegheny County, I made my way to the CompUSA in Robinson Township. Sure, it was not a direct route, but I stopped in to buy an Antec True Power Trio 650 Watt power supply for the computer I have not built yet. I have slowly been collecting parts for my DIY home built PC. I already have a computer case, a SATA hard drive, a DVD drive/burner, and a license for Windows XP. I am saving the more expensive parts for later - processor, motherboard, RAM, and video card. With winter here, I really can not work on the yard outside or any outdoor home improvement projects, so building my own PC will be a good indoor winter project. I have essentially replaced everything I can in my present PC and have maxed out the performance of it.

Can I build a PC myself? Sure, I do take apart PC's for a living. The only difference is the PC's at work are standardized by my company and all of the components are guaranteed to work together. I will keep you updated on my progress.

Tale of the Turkey Tape

So, what is the damage after a week of eating out while on a business trip following by Thanksgiving? Not as bad as I thought it would be. I stepped on my body fat/weight scale today, and I gained about 2.5 lbs, and my bodyfat percentage was about 1.0 percent higher than my average. I really have not worked out seriously for about 3 weeks, so once I get back in the swing of things, I should lose the extra pounds and bodyfat.

21

What is the significance of the number 21?

The legal drinking age?

Roberto Clemente's Jersey Number?

No, 21 degrees Fahrenheit was the temperature this morning. Blah!

Moonlight

One of the new TV shows that I have enjoyed watching is CBS's Moonlight. I like a good vampire story. The main character, actor Alex O'Loughlin as Mick St. John, is the vampire and actress Sophia Myles as Beth Turner, is his human love interest. There is a lot of tension between Mick and Beth, and you wonder when the two will finally hook up. The first few episodes were kind of weak, the same vampire stuff you have seen before. The stories have gotten better, but unfortunately, due to the writer's strike, tonight was the 11th and last episode of the season.

RUUTU Shootout Goal Wins Game for Pens

Jarkko Ruutu got the game winning shootout goal tonight as the Pens beat the Ottawa Senators 6-5. Here is a pic of Jarkko between my two favorite WTAE news babes, Ashley DiParlo and Janelle Hall.

Turkey on the Table

As Mike Lange, Pittsburgh Penguins radio play by play announcer, would say, "The Turkey is on the Table". Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, green been casserole, mystery soup.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a Happy Thankgiving!

NaBloPoMo - Update

So, how am I doing with the NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) challenge? I did not learn about the challenge until 11/10, so I missed the out on the official start. Since I began the challenge 10 days late, I did miss one post on 11/15. This was literally due to technical difficulties with the Wi Fi network at the hotel I was staying at while working out of town on business. Even though I missed the official start on 11/1, I will do my best to finish out the month.

State of My Union Address

Most of my recent posts have not had anything to do with logging my workouts. Why? Well, after Halloween, I decided I really needed to give my right elbow and the lingering tennis elbow a good long rest. I knew I would be out of town on business the week before Thanksgiving, and the week of Thanksgiving would be hectic, so why not take a break from the workouts. I made an appointment with my hand surgeon for next Monday to check out my tennis elbow. Yes, I had to go to a hand surgeon last year because of Dequervain's tendonitis. I am hoping I can get a cortisone shot, resting my elbow just does not seem to help.

Rest is good, but there are some negatives from not working out: 1) my bad left knee feels unstable. I had arthoscopic surgery on this knee about 12 years ago for a meniscus tear. My left knee feels "rusty" if I do not exercise it for a while; 2) I actually lose weight due to losing muscle mass; 3) I have exercise induced asthma, which flares up when the weather change from warm to cold. I need to keep up my cardio or I will have problems breathing in cold weather. Now you understand why maintaining a workout routine becomes more difficult with age.

Through Rain, Sleet, or Snow

When I go away on business, I submit an online request to have my mail held at my local post office. At the end of the holding date, you can request to have your mail delivered or you can pick up the mail in person at the post office. I usually choose the option to pick up my mail in person, just in case my return date changes. I stopped at my local post office this morning before work and to my surprise was told that the letter carrier had already resumed delivery on Saturday.

Overall, I have been pleased with the Hold Mail service from the Post Office. There have been a few times where my mail was held accidentally. I would think if they saw a Discrepancy between the customer's name and address, they would question it. Most of my mail is junk mail. The important stuff, like bills, I have opted to receive bills on-line. Saves money in postage and ordering checks.

Thoughts on Naples

Being back home, I have a few thoughts about my business trip to Naples, FL:

• Naples is a tourist town. Most of the businesses are hotels and restaurants.
• Naples is bike friendly. I saw a lot of bicyclists riding their bikes, even on the 6 lane divided highways.
• It is warm.
• I have never seen so much mulch and landscaping on a highway median.
• Almost every office building is meticulously landscaped with a waterfall.
• It must be damn expensive to live down there.

Back to the Burgh

I am waiting at the airport in Ft. Myers for my flight to Atlanta, then back to the Burgh. I was disappointed that the High Speed Internet access was not working at my hotel for the last 2 days. The Ft. Myers airport has free Wi-Fi, but Atlanta does not, so I am posting now. The temperature will change from 80 in Ft Myers to about 40 in the Burgh. Back to reality.

I Missed a Post Yesterday

Sorry, but I was not able to post yesterday because the high-speed internet/wi-fi was not working at the hotel.

Red Lobster Whiner

I ate dinner at the Red Lobster in Naples, FL tonight. I waited a long time for a server to take my order. In the booth next to me, a mother and daughter were having dinner and the mother requested to speak to the manager and also wanted a different waitress. In fact, I never say the waitress that was supposed to serve me for the rest of the evening. The manager either canned her or told her to leave for the evening. You would not believe this, but after complaining about everything from the biscuits to the dessert, the mother actually had the nerve to ask the manager how her daughter could apply for a job as a bus person. The manager was politically correct and said that all applicants must pass a personality test. I doubt if her daughter will ever work there. So, how was the food. Well, the food was tasty, but when someone whines all evening about everything, the meal just is not that enjoyable. The mother did have a right to complain, but she went over the top. The daughter was so embarrassed by her mother's whining, she asked to leave even before the dessert came out.

Florida in November

Hey Kids, you will not believe this, but my company sent me to Florida this week to work. I am near Ft Meyers and the temperature today was in the low 80's. It is nice to be down here, but since I am working and I really do not have a chance to enjoy the nice weather.

Remember Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day, so please remember the men and women who have served in the military for our great country. My deceased father was drafted out of high school and served in the Navy in WWII. My father was in his late 30's when I was born.

Why I Do Not Sleep In On The Weekend

The reason I do not sleep in on the weekends is because I get to watch Janelle Hall on WTAE TV's Weekend Morning News. She is my favorite WTAE news babe. Why?, just look at her. The picture on WTAE's website is a little outdated, but she is super fine. Janelle is full of energy, has a positive personality, and is obviously gorgeous.

Winter Car Preparation

My car's state and emission inspection is due this month, so this morning at 8:00AM, I dropped my car off at the Sears in the Ross Park Mall. I was surprised that they were done around 10:30AM, and they did not charge me extra for anything stupid like a $20 wiper blade or a $10 light bulb.

On my way home, I stopped by my local AutoZone to get my car battery replaced. I was still running my original car battery, which was 5 years old, so it was due for a replacement. The salesperson who rung up the receipt did not know what he was doing, so I had to look at the receipt twice. Also, the engine coolant/antifreeze level in my car was low, so I bought a gallon of Prestone.

Now is a good time to get your vehicle ready for winter - before it gets too cold and before any significant amounts of snow or ice. Here are some things you may want to do now:

• check car battery charge, replace if necessary


• check tire tread depth, replace if necessary


• check engine coolant/antifreeze level


• check wiper blades


• buy windshield washer fluid


• prepare an emergency winter kit with booster cables, cat liter for traction, lock de-icer (or matches), blanket or extra clothes, gloves, hat, snow brush, ice scraper, non-perishable food (peanuts are good), small portable snow shovel


• wash car and apply a good coat of car wax - it is easier to remove snow and ice if your car has a nice coat of wax


• AAA membership if you can afford it

November is National Blog Posting Month, NaBloPoMo

I just found out the November is National Blog Posting Month, NaBloPoMo. The challenge is to post something on your blog every day in the month of November. I am 10 days late, but I will try my best to post the remaining 20 days in November. Lately, I have been a little lazy, so this gives me some incentive to be a better blogger.

There seems to be a direct correlation between how much I post and how much I work out. I am trying to rest my injured elbow tendonitis which essentially wipes out all of my upper body workouts. I am doing stretching and strengthening exercises for my forearms and wrists. I have not been able to schedule a doctor appointment to check out my elbow yet, but hope to do so soon.

Later.