Oregon Country Fair 2008

The word I've most often been using to describe the Oregon Country Fair (which I attended this weekend) is "magic". Others include: body paint, juggling, dressed in drag, food(!), uninhibited (or not dressed at all), art, impossible, music, good people, harmony, fantastical, freedom, and HOT. If you've never been, you should go and experience it. Words and pictures cannot do it justice. But the fair was only part of the adventure. Transportation for the weekend was a pop-top '77 VW bus, crammed with 2 more people than seat belts. At the first stop, 30 minutes into the long drive, we realized the starter didn't work. Luckily my childhood provided much wisdom and know-how regarding push starting a VW bus which came in handy the rest of the weekend*. Long, late-night drives, sleeping in a rest area, and running out of gas only added to the adventure of it all.

Monday July 14 2008

File under: pics, misc

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on Tue 15th Jul, 2008 08:10 am PDT Saxtor said: Hippy* ************************ on Fri 18th Jul, 2008 09:12 am PDT Sweet Julie said: So Fun! So Fun! So Fun! ************************

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What is it

One of my favorite non-personal blogs, Neatorama, has a sometimes feature of "What is it?". It is exactly what you might imagine: from pictures, you gotta decide what it is. There has been an it lying around our house for a while that has us quite perplexed. I've done some research as to what it is, but have so far been thwarted. Then I figured, why not open it up to everyone to play along. Here are some pictures: 1, 2, 3. If you can't tell from the picture, the logo reads "Rex" with "Made in Finland" below. The metal spikes on the inside are angled downwards and towards the upturned tip. The two tags read "105208, $4.00" in handwritten script and "Devil's Thumb, $4.00", neither of which I think have anything to do with it's origin. Anyway, if anyone thinks they've got a clue to what it is, post it in the comments. If you have a source to prove you're right, you will be reigning champion...OF THE WORLD*! (I know the title/headline to this post should have a question mark, but whoever wrote this crappy blog software doesn't properly encode headlines, so it will have to remain an implied question mark.)

Saturday July 12 2008

File under: misc, contest

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on Sat 12th Jul, 2008 09:04 pm PDT soreyes said: It is a emergency xc ski tip. ************************ on Sat 12th Jul, 2008 10:47 pm PDT Andrew said: I was gonna go with a ski-tip protector. ************************ on Sat 12th Jul, 2008 11:15 pm PDT Saxtor said: Soreyes has it, a "reserve tip" from Rex. I honestly would have said it's some sort of protector for wax application, given that most of their other products are waxing-related. I guess it's if you bang your xc trip into a rock/tree and need a quick fix to get you back to the car or lodge before the bears get to you. Crazy stuff. ************************ on Sun 13th Jul, 2008 01:42 pm PDT cardboard said: wrens not much a skiier apparently. Soreeyes is the man. ************************

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Mathematical Mythbusting

Two occasions recently have had me pondering the speed of sound. The first such occasion was a lightening storm, of which we have very few here in the rain shadow of the Cascades. Lightening and thunder filled the sky all evening and into the night. Secondly, as I mentioned in my previous post, I watched the fireworks from a significant distance, which had an influence not only on the volume of the bang, but also on the delay. In talking to people (esp. about the lightening, although I don't see what it wouldn't also apply to the fireworks), the rule of 1 second between sight and sound equals one mile of distance to said sight was oft cited. I myself used this rule in my early days. This time around, however, I got a little curious about that rule of thumb and wanted to run the numbers. Perhaps to your surprise, the rule isn't so accurate. Observe*: Givens Speed of Sound Ss = 761 mph (or .2 miles per second) Speed of Light Sc = 670,616,629 mph (or 186,282 miles per second) System of equations Time it takes light to reach you tc = d/Sc Time it takes sound to reach you ts = d/Ss Time elapsed between light and sound te = ts -tc Solving Solving for tc tc = ts - te Replacing for tc and ts d/Ss - te = d/Sc Moving stuff around d/Ss - d/Sc = te Factoring for d d(1/Ss - 1/Sc) = te Solve for d d = te / (1/Ss - 1/Sc) Plugging givens back in (using miles per second) d = te / (5 - .000001*) This shows that instead of every one second between lightening and thunder equating to one mile, every 5 seconds equals to a mile. So next time you hear that thunder 5 seconds after the lightening, don't go rushing outside thinking you've got a 5 mile buffer because it's a lot closer than you think.

Thursday July 10 2008

File under: misc

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on Thu 10th Jul, 2008 10:46 am PDT Saxtor said: As with all equations like this, it is also the assumption that it is happening in a vacuum. I would also guess that anomalies such as winds, obstacles and Jessica Lynch of Slow Loris Shirts could also cause delay variables. ************************ on Thu 10th Jul, 2008 10:52 am PDT Wren said: Actually, Saxtor, sound doesn't propagate in a vacuum*, although winds and obstacles are sure to make a difference. ************************ on Fri 11th Jul, 2008 12:25 am PDT Horge said: Seems logical to me. I wonder if there are any other formulas out there that could be figured out to produce (and spread) more common sense rules of thumb. Like, how far away does a cat have to be for a dog to start barking at it? I imagine it's a bit more complex, involving the speed of light (vision), the speed of sound (the resulting barking, or yipping if you have a chihuahua) and the speed of smell. I think that studies of the speed of smell are grossly understudied... ************************ on Fri 11th Jul, 2008 07:50 am PDT Sean said: I've never heard of that rule and I'm glad, cause whoever started spreading that should be kicked in the junk.Now what about the speed of gravity? If the sun exploded we'd instantaneously feel the effects, ja? ************************ on Fri 11th Jul, 2008 09:52 am PDT Sweet Julie said: Ooh, Ooh! Can you do a post about the Golden Number aka Fibonacci Numbers? I love geeky science stuff! :) (just a reminder- voting is still going on for the Gray Whale Fluke!) ************************ on Mon 14th Jul, 2008 09:51 pm PDT Ryan Walters said: Sean--no, gravity propagates at the speed of light, so if the sun were to suddenly disappear we wouldn't notice for about eight minutes.Wren--Anacortes is in the rain shadow of the Olympics, not the Cascades. ************************

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Kayamping

After trying to talk people into it for years*, I finally had success in finding someone to go kayak camping with*. Saddlebag Island was the location (about an hour paddle from South Harbor Park). July 4th was the date. From our perch on the rocks, we could see the whole valley lighting off their tributes to America. The highlight, and what we positioned ourselves for, was the Anacortes display, which, as always, didn't disappoint. Watching the fireworks from such a distance and surrounded by such natural beauty was a great new experience. No deafening booms and no car alarms were just a few of the perks. Not only was the fireworks watching good times, but the camping was good times as well. Dinner was Frito chili pie and corn. Pre-fireworks entertainment was tree climbing and [further*] exploration of the island. Other than the wicked headwind and broken rudder [again...] on the paddle home, we had a grand old time.

Monday July 7 2008

File under: Anacortes, misc

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on Tue 08th Jul, 2008 10:23 am PDT Sean said: What? No exploding cans of beans? No Pokor through a tree? And you want to be my latex salesman... ************************ on Tue 08th Jul, 2008 10:43 am PDT per said: Hah! Hot poker through a tree. . . Ahh good times. Wren, does this mean you'd like to paddle the 100mi wilderness waterway sometime outside mosquito season? ************************ on Tue 08th Jul, 2008 04:41 pm PDT Joe Wilbur said: very cool wren. can't wait to hear all the "details". ;-) ************************ on Wed 09th Jul, 2008 12:54 pm PDT Saxtor said: Did you do any krumping while on your kayamping trip? ************************

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Phototastic

I like having pictures of where I've been and what I've done. Who doesn't? As for actually taking them (getting people all lined up, making sure there are batteries in the camera, etc.), that's another story. Esp. when traveling, I really try to force myself to take as many pictures as I can because I know I will appreciate it later. This blog has been a great help in the motivation category on that front. (It is also worth noting that I've had many great people contribute their photos of shared experiences to this blog and for that I'm quite grateful.) But those are more documentary type photos. Rarely do I think I capture something that can stand on its own without explanation or context. I'm slowly learning the art of photography, or at least producing pictures that I like, and as my skill grows, my interest grows. Someday I will have a photo that I will like well enough to enlarge, have framed, and put on my wall*. Speaking of fancy photography, my friend and your fellow BdW reader Sweet Julie has a photo in the finals of Nikon's Big Deal Photo Contest*. It is a great photo and worth checking out. Winners of the contest get a fancy new camera, so share the love and go vote! (Yeah, so this post was a combination of having little going on in my world and wanting to help a friend win a free camera. If you've got a cause you want promoted to the throngs* of BdW readers, send it my way.)

Sunday June 29 2008

File under: misc

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on Sun 29th Jun, 2008 10:16 pm PDT Sweet Julie said: Thanks, Wren! I am so excited cause there were tens of thousands of entries, and 120 finalists. The grand prize is a trip to Hollywood... about 40 min from my house! I would settle for being one of 60 finalists that gets the new Nikon camera!! You can vote once a day until July 15th. Woo Hoo- Schralping the Gnar, Brha! ************************ on Mon 30th Jun, 2008 11:21 am PDT Ryan Walters said: Dude, check out Windows Live Photo Gallery -- it does an awesome, one-touch panorama. ************************ on Mon 30th Jun, 2008 11:44 am PDT Wren said: I usually use Panorama Factory, but I hadn't switched it over from my old computer. In the interest of spurning anything "Windows Live", I went and retrieved said program and made this. Just a skosh better than the other one, eh? ************************ on Mon 30th Jun, 2008 07:25 pm PDT dave said: wren, i think your photographic goal is a great one. julie or wren, can you help me narrow down which photo is yours at the photo contest? i want to vote but my internet time isn't plentiful enough to allow me to sort through them. ************************ on Mon 30th Jun, 2008 11:09 pm PDT Wren said: Dave, if you click on "share the love and go vote" above, it should take you directly to the image. (It's a photo of a whale's tale.) If that link doesn't work, try this one. If neither of those work (which wouldn't entirely surprise me because the site is written in flash which doesn't play well with others*), you can find it by filtering for only the finalists in the Nature and Landscape category. It is the first image on the second row (at least on my screen.) Happy voting! ************************ on Wed 02nd Jul, 2008 11:48 pm PDT dave said: oh, that DOES work. sorry, didn't look closely enough at the name the first time i linked through. awesome photo, julie (for real). hope you win a camera! (what lens were you using for that shot?) ************************ on Thu 03rd Jul, 2008 07:31 am PDT Sweet Julie said: Thanks, Dave (and again, Wren) I was probably using my 80-200 on my Minolta X-700 SLR (old school!). Remember to vote every day, if you can! :) ************************

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Apple Splitting Fun

In a further attempt to keep this blog at least somewhat interesting between my travels, I present you with this video I took of myself the other afternoon. A couple years back, a friend taught me how to split an apple with my bare hands. I hadn't done it in quite some time, hence the less than smooth performance. Still I think it is pretty neat. Do you know any good food tricks? I was thinking of trying to work up a vaudeville-ish style act to demonstrate a bunch of food-related tricks. So far, I've got the t(r)oothpicks/saltshaker/forks balance, the speedy hard boiled egg peel, various grape toss/catch tricks, and this apple thing. I think I will need to find a few more before I am ready for Broadway.

Wednesday June 25 2008

File under: misc, video

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on Thu 26th Jun, 2008 12:06 am PDT Sweet Julie said: Wow! Wren! How neat-O. You should take a bow on camera, that is quite a feat. Can you do that spaghetti-up-the-nose-out-the- mouth-trick that the male species has seem to perfect? ************************ on Thu 26th Jun, 2008 05:02 am PDT Nesbitt said: Blowing milk out of your eye. ************************ on Fri 27th Jun, 2008 10:17 am PDT Joe Wilbur said: cool wren. nice clean split. ************************

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Those Clever Coffee Folk

We all know I am a fan of language: crosswords, puns, double entrendes, and the like. One thing I've noticed in my travels (at least here in the U.S.) is the extraordinary number of coffee shops with witty names. I started a little list of some of the clever ones that I've come across. Do you have any to add to the list?* Brewed Awakening - Westmont, IL Loca Mocha - Brookfield, IL Bean Counter - (I forget) Cool Beans - Bellingham, WA Uncommon Grounds - Havelock, NC Brew Thru - OBX, NC Stomping Grounds, New Bern, NC Sacred Grounds, Chicago, IL (I've been collecting these for a while in anticipation of a fun little post when there's not much else exciting going on*. The other day, however, I ran across this post over at Best Week Ever. It is a list of punny store names of any type. Included were The Human Bean and C U Latte. I figured I had better go ahead and get this post up before someone else steals my thunder.)

Tuesday June 10 2008

File under: misc

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on Tue 10th Jun, 2008 10:39 pm PDT Andrew said: Cool Beans? Not a good name. Coffee is roasted. Not cooled. PDX has Urban Grind. ************************ on Wed 11th Jun, 2008 12:31 am PDT Horge said: Dallas has/had one coffee shop around the corner from where I grew up, founded by ex-lawyers for present lawyers. It is/was called "Legal Grounds". ************************ on Wed 11th Jun, 2008 07:42 am PDT cardboard said: yo i think we got a brewed awakening here in the bham. I wanna start one called "roasted awakenings" in glacier next to the ol wake-n-bakery...the perfect place to get your scone on. ************************ on Wed 11th Jun, 2008 08:33 pm PDT Sweet Julie said: At UNH we had the Licker Store- they sold yummy Green Mtn coffee and Ice Cream! MMMMMmmmmm We all know how Wren feels about Ice Cream! ;) ************************ on Wed 11th Jun, 2008 10:08 pm PDT jule said: I am almost sure I have seen the brewed awakening on best week ever. Maybe in port angeles? ************************ on Thu 12th Jun, 2008 07:23 am PDT Nesbitt said: in my neighborhood the coffee shop is called "Common Ground Cafe." I guess that's the opposite of Uncommon Grounds. ************************ on Fri 13th Jun, 2008 07:55 pm PDT Sarah said: Jule is right! Brewed Awakening is totally in Port Angeles. Rock on, PA! ************************ on Mon 16th Jun, 2008 04:58 pm PDT Wren said: TVland, which I know isn't a real place, has some good clever coffee shop names. Of course there is Central Perk from Friends. Showtime's Weeds* has It's a Grind. ************************ on Mon 16th Jun, 2008 07:05 pm PDT Chris said: just saw "Deja Brew" in good ol' Dayton. Made me think of you. ************************ on Tue 17th Jun, 2008 01:32 pm PDT Wren said: An alert east coast reader submitted "Brew Ha Ha" from her hometown in Delaware. ************************ on Thu 19th Jun, 2008 09:55 am PDT Wren said: It's amazing what you start seeing when you are looking for it. Last night, I saw a Moka No Joka coffee truck on the way back from Mount Vernon. ************************ on Thu 19th Jun, 2008 09:56 pm PDT Mom said: I had tea this morning in Pemberton B.C. at the Pony Espresso, a clever little place. ************************ on Fri 20th Jun, 2008 06:27 pm PDT Ryan said: The Daily Grind Pblo, CO ************************ on Wed 16th Jul, 2008 02:01 pm PDT Saxtor said: I found The Grind House in Belltown in Seattle. ************************ on Fri 26th Jun, 2009 06:18 pm PDT steve said: the supreme bean in Stillwater Mn. ************************

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Familiar Voice on Marketplace

Marketplace is one of my favorite daily radio programs. If you've never heard it, it is worth a listen*. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an e-mail in response to a story. (Feedback, both positive and negative*, is a great way to help programs, blogs, authors, companies, etc. connect to the actual end consumer. I'm a big fan of feedback.) Anyway, I got a call yesterday asking me to read or paraphrase my letter, so they could broadcast it in their "letters from listeners" section. Needless to say, I was pretty freaking stoked. Unfortunately, Marketplace was preempted on KUOW today by campaign coverage so no one got to hear it. (I did, however, get an e-mail from a friend back in Maine that heard my 15 seconds of fame.) Anyway, for any one interested, you can listen to/read the story on their website or I've edit it down to just my blurb for archival purposes here. I don't know if this counts as my 15 minutes of fame, but it's pretty neat anyway. (Because it fits in so nicely, I thought I would at least mention it for those who don't remember: A couple of years ago, I got a little NPR air time on Weekend Edition Sunday, doing their weekly puzzle (with puzzle master Will Shortz). That clip is archived here. Two "appearances" on popular NPR shows. Once I win that pesky Car Talk puzzler and do something significant enough to get Terry Gross to interview me, I'll have completed the circuit!!)

Tuesday June 3 2008

File under: misc

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on Wed 04th Jun, 2008 12:01 pm PDT Saxtor said: Hmmm, it turns out the circuit isn't completed without a hat-and-cane or softshoe routine on Prairie Home Companion*. Get steppin', Wren. ************************ on Wed 04th Jun, 2008 09:32 pm PDT dave said: Nice, Wren! I wish now that I didn't stop receiving internet a week ago because I used to listen to Marketplace every morning while eating breakfast. Now I just watch the boring ocean. Congratulations! (and being interviewed by Robin Young (Here and Now) should take precedence over Terry - Robin's voice is way hotter.) ************************ on Wed 04th Jun, 2008 10:14 pm PDT per said: I enjoy the feedback a swell bit.Thanks for the language lesson, Wren.Your voice will Propagate Pillside Pastures. ************************ on Wed 04th Jun, 2008 10:17 pm PDT per said: craH! ************************ on Thu 05th Jun, 2008 02:58 pm PDT trista said: yo, i got a message from Zak that day. He heard you. He was stoked. Hardly unnoticed. ************************ on Mon 09th Jun, 2008 12:54 pm PDT mandy said: wren, um, congrats for being on the air, but wow, kinda harsh? not everyone has public transportation options available, maybe relative for the guy who gave it up for 30 days WAS remarkable ************************ on Mon 09th Jun, 2008 10:44 pm PDT Amanda said: I'd be shooting for a little one on one with Ira Glass. ************************

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Folk Life 2008

"Play, Dance, Sing, Taste, Learn, Participate" – this is the slogan for the 2008 Seattle Folk Life Festival*. I think it would be fair to say that I took about 91% of that advice*. If you've ever been to a Folk Life festival at the Seattle Center, you have a general idea of the scene. For those of you who haven't, let me paint a picture. There are stages everywhere with all kinds of music and dance that you can imagine*. In between stages, there are food and vendor booths selling your typical array of festival foods and goods. On just about every corner and tucked into any open space between stalls, there are buskers galore: jugglers, musicians, little kids doing their cute thing, and the smattering of 'performance art' folk. Just about every inch of remaining space is filled with people, esp. at midday when the weather was so gorgeous. It all combines for an atmosphere that does well to support the festival's slogan. Highlights for me included: Spoonshine on stage and on the street corner, having an 'in' with a troupe of street performers and being able to watch their show evolve and progress*, juggling with friends new and old on the lawn as the sun was going down, and lazy, directionless time where I was free to follow my nose to good food and ears to good music. To have a listen to some of the music from the weekend, click here. No clips from the Spoonshine or Citizen's Band shows unfortunately, but it might be worth checking out the June Madrona show from Saturday. Also, here are a few photos I snapped: people galore around the International Fountain, me seeking shelter from the sun, and the ever present Space Needle in the setting sun and at night.

Monday May 26 2008

File under: Seattle, misc

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on Tue 27th May, 2008 09:07 am PDT Saxtor said: Glad to hear you made it out alive! I wish I could have made it, but Seattle rarely factors into my plans on recreation days... I would have liked to have seen Flowmotion and Spoonshine though... ************************

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Not Stupid Enough

Here's the story*: while waiting in line to attend the David Letterman show, they make you fill out a survey with your name, age, where you're from, etc. It also has a place to highlight any stupid pet tricks your pet might be able to do, famous people you may have met, and stupid human tricks you might be able to do. Thinking that the field was required (and that if anyone knows a stupid human trick or two it would be me), I filled it in, thinking nothing further of it. Sure enough, the next day, I get an e-mail from the show asking how I came about knowing this unique trick of mine and if I had a video I could share with them. I was on the road so I postponed a filming session until I got home. And after practicing a bit*, this is what I got (view the video above or check it out here on YouTube). I sent it off last week and haven't heard back. Judging by the speed of their response last time and lack of a response this time, I can only assume that my trick just isn't stupid enough for them. Or maybe it is too stupid. Either way, there went my hopes and dreams of being on the David Letterman show, at least for now. Next on the agenda: come up with an even stupider trick.

Monday May 12 2008

File under: video, misc

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on Mon 12th May, 2008 09:57 am PDT Saxtor said: You really got some loft on that third one... I would be greatly disappointed if you didn't hear back on this. It fits the requirements perfectly!* ************************ on Mon 12th May, 2008 05:45 pm PDT per said: think you'd have better luck with a topless submission. America loves stupid human nipples. America's loves accuracy too. What about a target of some sorts? Into a cup perhaps, or affix suction cups to the ends and shoot for Letterman's head. ************************ on Mon 12th May, 2008 08:39 pm PDT Andrew said: I couldn't agree more w/ per. Topless and into Letterman's coffee cup. ************************ on Tue 13th May, 2008 09:57 am PDT nesbitt said: Wren don't ever doubt yourself. You can be as stupid as you want to be. I believe in you. ************************ on Thu 15th May, 2008 11:59 am PDT mandy said: ok, maybe i'm missing something, what exactly are you doing? and how did you come about knowing this trick? ************************

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