I promised myself I would blog more often and on technical subjects. Lately, I’ve been hacking on some cool networking stuff at work and hacking on my house in my spare time (finally finalizing my basement!) and traveling. So, I haven’t done anything super-exciting tech-wise that I feel comfortable blogging about, so I’ll post with a lovely picture of my trip to California.

This is a photo from a hike my brother and I did out at Point Reyes National Seashore last month. Great fun, but I think I wore out my feet on that hike.

That’s it for now. Hopefully something more substantial in the near future.

I like to travel. Unfortunately, a side of my personality — the frugal side (both with cash and paid-time-off) — seems to keep me around Fort Collins. I threw all that to the wind and took a much-needed vacation to Ireland with Myles and Kim at the end of the May (very refreshing, more on this in a later entry). My frugality being what it is (an interesting side note here, I’m hardly ever frugal with dining out), I never (rarely, now) turn down a free trip.

As luck would have it, late last week, an email went out asking if anyone would like to cover the Sarix presentation on Pelco’s IP Road Show in Detroit and Cleveland. I answered in the affirmative about an hour after it went out, figuring that I’d already missed the window of opportunity (things like this rarely go unanswered for long). Turns out, I didn’t!

I received my official tee-shirts via FedEx the next day and was on a plane Monday morning. I found out later that neither Detroit nor Cleveland appealed to anyone else (I don’t understand why — Michigan and Ohio are lovely) and that I was, in effect, drawing the short straw. Not so, I tell you.

I made it to both roadshows, met a lot of cool people (some folks from Clovis, one from Orangeburg, our reps, and customers!) and managed to further develop my presentation and speaking style. My biggest takeaway from all of this was finding a comfort zone when speaking in public (and representing my company and the product I helped create). I think I grew more in the professional sense in the 4 days moonlighting as a road warrior than I have in years. I had a ton of fun, to boot.

More than that, apparently I did a good job. I was offered to present at the next set of road shows in Syracuse and Cherry Hill next week. It didn’t fit with my schedule though — need to catch back up for our upcoming 1.3 Sarix software release lest I be the cause of it slipping. Oh well, hopefully another slot will open up.

Firstly, I’m finally (with Myles and Kim!) making the trip to Ireland I’ve wanted to take for the last few years. The dates are firm, the plane tickets are booked, and the bike trip is scheduled. May 16th and “goodbye, Denver.” (at least for 2 weeks).

Secondly,my house (and the topic of this post), is getting a facelift. Actually, it’s more like a boob job. I’ve settled on and hired a contractor to finish my basement into a recreation/family room. I’ll move my TV down there and install a 7.1 system for movie watching. I may even get a ping pong table if finances allow (combine this with Ireland and I’m stretched pretty thin).

Thirdly, we’ve released Sarix at work! Finally! Three cheers!

In other news, the aforementioned Bostwicks (that would be Myles and Kim) have put a house under contract here in Fort Collins. Yay for them!

That’s all for now.

0830 – Breakfast at McCoy’s with Myles, Kim, David, and Shane. I had the breakfast enchilada.

I think breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I just love breakfast food, I love breakfast conversation, and I love coffee. This morning was no different. There was good food, amicable banter, and the carafe of coffee kept magically getting refilled. If I could describe heaven, it would certainly be in terms of hash browns and coffee.

At breakfast, we decided on the plan for the day. Myles and I would drive Shane back to the airport for his return flight to Seattle. Kim and David would enjoy the sites and sounds of Fort Collins while we made the 120 mile round-trip. After breakfast, around 1000, we executed the plan. Upon our return from the airport, we would take a (as yet undetermined length) bike ride around Fort Collins then trek down to Colorado Springs to visit with David’s parents who were coincidentally also visiting the Centennial State.

As a bit of background: Myles, Kim, and I were graced for the New Years holiday by our good friends David and Shane. They hail from Los Angeles (Van Nuys), CA and Seattle (Bellevue), WA respectively.

The plan went flawlessly. Shane was safely delivered to the East Terminal of Denver International Airport and the bike ride commenced at 1300. We did several (Myles says 4) miles up and down the Cathy Fromme Prairie trail. It turned out to be perfect (if not a little chilly) riding weather; and I got to try out my new cycling jacket. After weeks of inconsistent activity and several days of “poor” dietary choices, my body very much welcomed the ride.

We made for lunch at around 1500 at Cafe Athens. Yum. By 1600, we were on the road for The Springs.

We allocated 3 hours for the drive, just in case. Figuring we had some time, we made a stop at the Microcenter in the Denver Tech Center. We spent 30 minutes oogling computer parts and high-definition TV’s before setting out again. This is when we started getting off the rails — seriously.

The plan was to visit with David’s family and then leave him down there, so he could have more time. We would return to Fort Collins, and David would eventually return to LA when he was ready. So, we drove 2 cars from Fort Collins. As a bit of additional backstory: David drove his car from LA to Colorado. Kim joined David in his car for the trip, and I rode with Myles.

Along I-25 South, just below the Tech Center, we ran into a rather unfortunate sounding sign: “EXPECT LONG DELAYS.” It turns out, they were quite serious.

Myles, deft in hand and in mind, quickly pressed the detour button on his GPS navigation device. Within seconds, we were exiting the freeway to make a crazy-looking detour. We jumped off of I-25 south onto the city streets in Denver, found our way to E-470 North (which really travels West), caught up with Highway 83 South up through Parker. The windshield wiper blades on the Bostwick Honda were smearing road grime to the point of total blindness, so we stopped at an Autozone in Parker to pick up and install new blades. We continued along Highway 83 to Highway 86 through Castle Rock on our way back to I-25. The detour was an extra ~25ish miles.

At this point, Myles and I were running a good hour late. We communicated, via text message, to our co-travelers in the other car that we would be pretty late. As we’re about to turn onto I-25 South, I get a call from David that I’ll paraphrase:

Sean> Yep, we’re in Castle Rock.

David> You’re in Castle Rock already!?

As it happens, the “EXPECT LONG DELAYS” was quite accurate. By this point, we had gained 20 miles on David and Kim.

The next message I got from David:

David> 25 MOVING?

It turns out that the combination of snow, ice, and some unusually parked cars stalled out I-25 South for an hour just below Denver. By the time Myles and I arrived at our destination, Phantom Canyon Brewing and 40 minutes late, we had gained about 36 miles on our friends. This after a 25 mile detour and stop for wiper blades.

Staggered meals and beer ensued. In addition, good conversation was had by all. I got to meet David’s grandmother and chat again with David’s parents. I also had a pretty good bit of pot roast.

We made our goodbyes and well-wishes at around 2230 and began our return trip through blowing snow, ice, and snowpack along I-25 North — luckily, to no appreciable delays.

We arrived back in Fort Collins, safe and sound, at around 0030 Sunday and I made it home around 0045. Indeed a good day: good friends, good times, and a good amount of travel.

With that, good night.

I, for one, became much more active in the months and now year since moving here from California. I’ve been riding my bike to work most days and enjoying the lovely outdoors we have here. I’ve also, probably with the help of my bicycle and a more sensible diet, have put off around 30 pounds.

I’ve hit a weight loss plateau as of late, but I’ve felt myself continuing to get trimmer. It’s really a remarkable thing.

Now, if I may be facetious for just a moment, it’s all about to come to a crashing halt. I am flying out to Clovis next week, at which point, I shall subject myself to the buttery and greasy missives of our chefs at the Blue Pride Cafe. I imagine I’ll come back having found those 30 pounds.

Or not.

The first thing that struck me was the amazing interactivity of LAX. To fly through this airport (I flew through Terminal 1), you need to be on top of your game. Things I took for granted at Denver, such as leaving my bags with the airline agent at the counter, are simply not the mode of operation at LAX. Instead, once your bag is “checked in”, you have to move it to the TSA screening area.

Then it came to the security line. They’re easy to discern, since it’s usually a queue of (now-)light travelers staring blankly at the back of the person immediately in front of them. Talking is strictly prohibited, I believe it may be a LA cultural thing. There are no signs. You simply proceed as the rest. For those unaware, security screening comes in two phases: the ID and boarding pass check, and then the physical examination step. At LAX, these two phases are disturbingly far apart. First, you get checked and stamped in by a TSA agent. No big deal. Then you mount a flight of stairs to an empty reception area, again devoid of signs. It takes a helpful, if not brusque, TSA agent to direct you up another flight of stairs to the secondary screening area (cleverly known as “Security Checkpoint 1A”). This is the overflow area; you see, normally you would proceed from the first stairs directly into a rope line. However, they miraculously found room for another area in a very strange part of the airport, about 60 feet past the airport’s Payroll and Administration offices. Again, no signs — except for one at the very head of the queue.

Now, it’s hard to fault LAX for their strange physical arrangement. It’s pretty obvious that the strange flow has to do with post-9/11 security measures that brought in new machines and slower procedures requiring more space. They found it where they could. I also imagine that “clear” signage may lead to sign overload.

I’m not going to even start on the crazy car traffic situation. It’s just nuts.

Suffice it to say, I’m not sure that much can be done about LAX’s Terminal 1 without a major renovation. Barring a way to use the instant between seconds to squeeze in the work, it’s hard to imagine such a renovation not causing a major disruption in the air transit system or making the current problems at LAX significantly worse. Good luck LAWA. I think from now on, I’m going to try to avoid LAX as a origination or destination airport. It’s just crazy!

I scored a sweet seat on a United Airbus A319; row 6, window seat, behind a bulkhead separating the First Class and Economy Cabins. I really enjoyed having the little extra legroom the bulkhead (and sitting in Economy “Plus”) afforded. The flight was full and delayed (much to the chagrin of people who had connections in Denver) due to a late arrival and the removal of a sick passenger (my seat neighbors and I think she was drunk; thoughts only enhanced by the timely arrival of a sheriff on the left side of the plane as we returned to the gate). Capitol Ground cleared us for immediate taxi and takeoff once we got pushed off the gate for the second time (which was neat).

After a smooth and pretty flight (at 37,000 feet) to Denver, I hopped on down to the Shamrock Airport Express bus which took me the rest of the way home. I must say: Denver International is a very easy airport to go through. I’ve flown in and out of the airport 5 times this year and each time has been pleasant. I transferred at the Harmony Transfer Center in Fort Collins onto a van which took me straight to my door. Very convenient indeed.

A mountain of mail and chores awaited me when I got home; which I promptly took care of. My cats were also very glad to have me back.

Saturday was great – played a bunch of Guitar Hero with Kaaren, got new tires ($540, ouch), ran a few errands, and managed to get a good night’s sleep. The altitude and dry air are hitting me again; no surprise after being gone for 2 weeks. I am very happy that I had the foresight to clean my apartment before I left. It’s nice having a clean area to get things done.

With all that said, I am going to return to the real world.

Happy New Year!

I’ve been back for about a week now, having spent the first part of my trip in the Fresno area with my friends Myles, Kim, and David. The festivities included drinking, eating, and a quick trip to Los Angeles for a hockey game. I’m happy to report that the Colorado Avalanche trounced the Los Angeles Kings, 4 to 2. Go Avs!

Special thanks to Myles and Kim for their hospitality, beer, and internets.  Speaking of beer, a certain someone had better hit her brother up for her bet winnings, lest he forget (or drink) it.

After an enjoyable week, I took a train to the greater Sacramento area to see my parental units. Due to overall poor planning and coordination, I was unfortunately delayed for the graduation ceremonies (and after-event) for my buddy Marcus. Otherwise, my trip thus far has been quite relaxing and enjoyable.  Just last night, my Dad and I polished off a bottle of La Folie with pizza and a movie. Lucky I brought 2.  Mom has some interesting plans for events, including (I think) dinner theatre and a play.

I’m happy to report that the Rees Residence Carmichael is rapidly approaching version 2.0. The remodeled house has passed final inspection and the final touches are being put on for move in. I must say, the wiring closet (with a Middle-Atlantic ~24U wall-mounted rack) looks great. The wiring guy even wired up the patch panel and the ethernet closet. The other notable feature of the house is the Kitchen; all stainless appliances and a very nice layout with easy access to what will become an outdoor kitchen addition. The clerestory is also a nice design feature adding lots of natural light into the kitchen, dining, and living spaces.  I’m looking forward to flying back in a few months (I think I might just fly into Sacramento directly instead of into the Bay Area) to see the final product all-moved-in.

I think it might now be time for a nap. Good night.

I can’t wait to move there next week. Except the drive.

Saw this delightful sign today at Denver International.

Who knew there were flights to the great icy south — from Denver? Interestingly, this terminal had no passengers-in-waiting, nor a gate agent. One suspects that this is not a very popular route…