wanderlust

mmmmm, Amadana

Okay, gang (both of you). I am going to try this blogging thing again since it seems I am now going to have some time on my hands.....

Found this awesome Japanese company who makes really cool electronic products.
http://www.amadana.com/index.html

Check it out.

RS4

Funny video...the sound of this car is practically pornographic if you have ever heard one in real life. 340 HP, 4.2 liter V8.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6DfuClt6oM&eurl=

yummy

Okay, so today is my birthday and it started out ominously...first it was pouring rain, but I did not take it personally since it has been raining for what seems like months straight (and heck, rain here means snow in the mountains which is a good thing). Then, and this is where I should have just gone back home and gotten in bed, as I was walking to work I decided to call a friend and after pulling my phone out of my pocket proceeded to throw it through the air where it landed with a crunching plastic sound on the concrete below, bounced (and I do not mean skipped, this thing must have been a rubber ball in a past life because my phone got 8-10 inches (25cm for those smart ones in Europe) of air on each bounce, and then slid to a stop in 2 inches of water. Well, after running over and grabbing it out of its watery grave I proceeded to investigate the damage. Hmmmm, dripping water, but it still seems to work. I call James and after blowing some water out of the speaker so I can hear him it appears the phone is no less the worse for wear. Boy was I wrong. About 3 hours later - after making and answering calls - my phone decides it has had a hard enough life and lays over dead. RIP. But hey, this is a great excuse to get a new phone and of course I made a bee-line for the new Motorola Razr V3. Yes, everyone and their, ahem, mother has one, but these things are NICE. And as a designer I can appreciate (and love to have even though my paycheck does not allow it) things that have a synergy between form and function! Anyway, if you have not held one go do it.....they just feel good. Sort of like the steering wheel in a BMW. Yes, lots of cars have steering wheels, but they do not provided the same feedback that one in a BMW does.

American River 50 miler

I spent this past Saturday with my good friend Rick crewing and pacing another good friend from Portland Olga. Olga and I go way back to the 2004 Bridger Ridge Run and I was happy to get up at 3:30am to get to the start with her and Rick to begin our 9 hour support crew stint...okay, well, happy may be pushing it. Let's just say - anything for Olga! I crewed and paced her at the 2005 Miwok 100 and, although that was a good time (great race and fun to pace Olga), this was way more fun! Mainly because Rick was there and we basically laughed the whole day. Olga did great...kept her fueling in check, kept her pace where it should be and in the last 20 miles was passing people like they were standing still. She finished in just under 8:58, took 10th female overall and 4th in her AG. The best part....she was smiling and having a fun race all the way to the end (it was a rocky start, but she finished in great spirits). If you want to read the whole report, check it out at http://runmoretalkless.blogspot.com/2006/04/day-in-heaven-well-some-hell-but-who.html . Olga is much better at race reports than me. Or Rick's version at http://365ultra.blogspot.com/

Institutions

Ahhh, the sheltering bliss of the architectural education....free from the vagaries of the 'real' profession one is able to explore the intricacies of the built form without the everyday constraints. Here is a great article describing that journey.....one could easily substitute Syracuse everytime you see the words Cooper Union....we too had the same reverence of Corb and everything that means.
http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=1867