2009 Job Market

A friend of mine sent this to me...very creative and freakin' hilarious, without regard to anyone's political affiliation ! Click on the title for a direct You Tube link, for better viewing.

Engineering Question Du Jour

Q.) How much does a house weigh ???

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A.) Just a tad more than a rural two-lane bridge can hold, apparently.

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So (and you all knew this was coming... as it is the trickiest and best part of this conundrum) would this damage be covered by the Homeowners policy, the Commercial Truck/Common Carrier's policy or does it come under Roadside Assistance coverage from AAA? Either way, there's going to be a mad and temporarily homeless redneck family, somewhere !! Spoot !

La-re-do del Norte (Biz Tripping)

Apparently, a long, long time ago...Laredo was known as Laredo of The North, meaning located in the northern provence of Mexico known as Tamaulipas. Then, there was a fight and you all know the rest of that story, so I won't bore you with repetition of it. Suffice it to say that Laredo is different, even as border towns go. But, I must say that the folks are friendly and you can get the best less than $10 Tex-Mex lunch anywhere.

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The next best thing that it is known for is various and sundry, inexpensive Mexican imports. You know the kind. Like the ones pictured above. I even texted Erin to see if she would like for me to pickup a couple of these for her pad. They would be quite effective in scaring off would be "unannounced visitors." She responded that she would pass on the imports but I figured that some photos would at least be mildly entertaining and somewhat decorative, in an ironic sense. These are quite sturdy as they are made of cast aluminum...they could double as family heirlooms for generations to come !!

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Workout Report:

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Wed: Cycle, 20 miles down the Parm windtunnell, 16.9 amph

Thur: Mesa Hill repeats with The Du's, 4 repeats, 5.6 miles and a couple of cervesas. Now that's a Quality Workout.

Fri: Nada...El Tripe to Laredo + Happy Hours

Sat: Cycle, 45 miles with Stephen at the Rosedale Ride

Sun: Run, 5 miles on Brushy Creek Trail, 8:50 average...man, the days are warming up.

Mon: Gym (yes, I rediscovered it !!) and 3 miles running on the dreadmill

Do What ??

An old college friend of mine sent these jokes to me today. They are so funny that I had to pass them on. Hopefully, they help with your Wednesday !!
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1. So, how many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Then, raise my hand.
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2. OK, so what's the speed of dark? Hmm...I dunno.
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3. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. There may be alcohol involved with this one.
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4. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now! (definitely my fav.)
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5. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges? (Requires DEEP thought)
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6. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. (That's true...and as you all know, "weaseling into" or "out of" something is definitely one of my favorite expressions of speech)
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Work Out Report:
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Fri: Run, 5 miles, 8:45 pace. What the hell am I doing, running on my day off ??
Sat: Cycle, 35 miles, 17.5 mph average. Man, I love that new Parmer extension. It goes past Hwy 29 and so far out into the country now that you can see members of the "Land of The Nine Fingered People."
Sun: Nada....just chilled; Whassup !! Sniff...
Mon: Run, 8.5 miles with Erin around TLT (Town Lake Trails). A little right thigh stiffness after that one.
Tues: Run, 4.6 miles with the Du's at AHS; 400 repeats (2:10 average) with 200 recovery...did eight of these total, plus the run to and from J&A's. Ah yes, Spring is back.

What Is That ??

Last week was a blur...lots of stuff going on and just like that, it was gone. I found myself saying "What is this or what am I doing, here" quite often...a true sign of a busy schedule. But, a lot was accomplished that needed to be done. Even though work obligations took up most of my time, I still was able to "squeeze in" most of what I set out to do, relative to work out activities. However, I do need to get my butt (and the rest of myself) in the gym more often.

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Work Out Report:

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Tues: Run,6.5 miles, quality work out with the Du's
Wed: Core w/o and spin class, 20 mile cycling equivalent
Thurs: Run, 4 miles on the dread, at the hotel
Fri: Happy, Happy Hours...king of the Friday Afternoons !!
Sat: Cycle, 40 miles Tim, Erin, Dionn and Gina along with a run for 3 miles....this little ditty wiped me out
Sun: Cycle, 50 miles and a small fall off of the bike at an intersection...a little embarrassing but good fodder for laughing at myself. The ride with E., Tim, Maggie, et al itself was a good one. (Really, E., it was 50 !! Check it off the list. ...lol ) Also, 1.5 miles run...a bit less difficult of a brick than Sat's; so apparently I'm getting acclimated to it.

Things People Put on Their Vehicles

"Pirate and Proud" ...how nice !! Looks like this person was in town for a marshal arts convention. Let's see: 1-marshal arts badass and 2-pirate tendencies; Hmmm...yes, I shall chose to leave this person alone, as in not messing with them. If you get my drift, Matey !!
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I do enjoy entertaining myself while I'm out and about town...sometime I'm working, other times not.
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Workout Report:
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Wed: Spin Class, 20 mile equivalent
Thurs: Run, 7 miles
Fri: I mean REALLY people...Happy Hours ahoy !!
Sat: Cycle, 50 miles with Erin, Glenda, Kris, Dionn and Tim down Old SA Road
Sun: Cycle, 32 miles with Stephen, doing the Parmer Wind Tunnel Exercise. Random Thought: man, I really like my new Schwinn rain jacket. It doubles as a very formidable wind breaker as well and it came in handy not once but twice this weekend. Get one folks.
Mon: Run, 400 Repeats on the dreadmill; and let's not forget a gym workout, to boot... AARRR !!

Ladies and Gentlemen...Ms. Amy Weiskopf

Within the last week, independent of each other two friends asked me for New Orleans restaurant recommendations as they were both going there for business conventions. Needless to say, they were not disappointed and I, of course, was jealous. Particularly my friend Christine who opted for the cuisine at Emeril's Delmonico. One of my all-time favs. She noted both the exquisite fare and the elegant, yet understated decor of the restaurant. Most notably in her observations, though, were the paintings on display both at the bar area and at various parts of the dining portion itself. In what was a seemingly deja vu encounter, it donned on her that the paintings were somehow vaguely familiar, though she had not been to Delmonico before. Things that make you go....hmmm?

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As it turns out, she has previously viewed the work of Amy Weiskopf at the Hackett-Freedman Gallery in San Francisco some time ago. Viola !! The fog began to clear. When the restaurant was renovated in July of 1998, the current owner wanted stunning paintings to hang in the restaurant, so he commissioned the world-renowned still-life artist to paint oil paintings that showcase the classic elements of Creole Cuisine. Weiskopf's paintings are noted for their visual acuity and tightly controlled compositions, wherein daringly arranged foodstuffs, seemingly poised on the edge of collapse or out of context, push to the forefront of the picture plane. According to the artist, her "paintings are more visual than narrative. They are about opposites, contrasts of tonal structure, color values and varying depths of space, creating a complicated visual experience within the precise format of still life." A unique style but very cool...
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Work Out Report:
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Friday: 5 mile run
Sat: Gym in morning (some people just cannot get up on the weekends...) and 28 miles cycling later in the day
Sun: 34 miles cycling

Mon: Walk 5 miles; Then ran 10x, 200 yard sprints w/ 200 yard active recovery in between

Tues: 6 mile run, at Wm.son County Park w/ Coach Bill's Clan

Wed: Gym and spin class, 20 mile equivalent workout...that spin class instructor is tuff!!