NYC Marathon Trivia — Schultz Surname

This year 23 people with the Schultz surname entered the NYC Marathon lottery. The lottery picked 10 of us to run and rejected 13. Five canceled. Two come from Germany — Tuttlingen and Oberursel. Surprisingly (to me) a John Schultz from Sacramento canceled.

Link: http://www.nycmarathon.org/entrantinfo/entrantdb.php

Seems they scrubbed the names of those the lottery did not pick sometime earlier today.

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2006-10-31

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2006-10-31
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 17 C (62.6 F)
Time: 15:00-15:45
Terrain: mild hills
Comments: Penultimate maintenance run before the NYC marathon. Witches walked up and down Mariposa Avenue today. Noticed a didgeridoo advertisement on a license-plate frame reading, "Didgeridoo: drumsum.com." As I walked back to my home a chocolate-colored dog barked at me though a fence. Anticipating where I intended to walk, the dog circled the house and poked it's face over the fence with additional barks. Fun. Another unleashed, heavy-set white dog with brown spots barked loudly and ran across a fenceless front lawn toward me. It stopped at the street. I encountered a stream of children leaving the Skycrest Elementary School today. The multitude of cars, people, and buses forced me to stay extra alert. Weather is beautiful. Forgot my sunblock again. x_x Ugh. I'm going to turn into a raisin if I keep this up.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 7.8 km (4.8 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=521107
Total Distance For Year: stopped counting after first marathon
Weight (after run): 81.0 kg, 26% body fat.
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None. Toe black and blue but no discomfort.
Foods eaten today: pancakes and maple syrup, home fries

Getting to the NYC Marathon Start

I am tentatively choosing to take public transportation to the marathon start. Dawn and I plan to take a trial-run of this system the day before the race:

1. Walk 0.5 mi to PATH Pavonia/Newport Station (15 minutes)
2. Journal Square-33rd Street line (yellow line) to Christopher Street PATH Station (14 minutes) Every 30 minutes from 2:50-6:45 (2:50, 3:20, 3:50, and so forth)
3. Walk two blocks to IRT Christopher Street-Sheridan Square Station (10 minutes?)
4. 1-2-3 (#1 red train) to South Ferry Station (~15 minutes) Every 20 minutes until 10:00 (approximately 4:08, 4:28, 5:08, and so forth)
5. Walk to South Ferry Terminal (5 minutes?)
6. NYCDOT Staten Island Ferry to St. George Ferry Terminal (25 minutes) Every 60 minutes (5:30, 6:30, and so forth)
   
7. MTA bus S51 to South Beach stop (17 minutes) Every 30 minutes after 5:00 (5:00, 5:30, 6:00, and so forth)
8. Walk two blocks to marathon staging area (5 minutes)

Approximate time: 106 minutes (1:46), so roughly 2-2:30 hours I'm guessing depending on business, lateness, waiting, and so forth. Used the Sunday timetables for calculations.

Official MTA marathon viewing PDF.

I *heart* efficient public transportation.

UPDATE: MTA Service advisories due to marathon? due to ongoing construction. x_x What we'll probably do instead is take PATH to the 23rd Street PATH station and walk 0.4 mi from Avenue of the Americas to the 23rd Street Station at Park Avenue South. From there we take the 4-5-6 (#4 green train) to Bowling Green and walk to the South Ferry Terminal.

UPDATE #2: The PDF of the subway map shows how PATH trains intersect with the subways. So instead I think we'll take PATH to the 14th Street PATH Station, hop on the B-D-F-V (F orange line) to the Broadway-Lafayette Street Station, then transfer to the 4-5-6 (#4 green train) to Bowling Green and walk to the South Ferry Terminal.

UPDATE #3: This seems easier: PATH Pavonia-Newport to PATH World Trade Center Station. Walk 0.3 mi to Rector Street Station and take shuttle buses to South Ferry Station.

1. Walk 0.5 mi to PATH Pavonia/Newport Station (15 minutes)
2. Journal Square-33rd Street line (yellow line) to PATH Grove Station (3 minutes; runs every 30 minutes until 07:12; 01:01, 01:31, 02:01, and so forth)
   
3. Newark-World Trade Center (red line) to World Trade Center Station ( 7 minutes; runs every 30 minutes until 07:00; 03:15, 03:45, 04:15, and so forth)
4. Walk 0.3 mi to Rector Street Station (15 minutes)
   
5. Shuttle buses to South Ferry Station (30 minutes?)
   
6. Walk to South Ferry Terminal (5 minutes?)
7. NYCDOT Staten Island Ferry to St. George Ferry Terminal (25 minutes) Begins boarding at 5:00 a.m. and every half hour between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m.
   
8. MTA bus S51 to South Beach stop (17 minutes) Every 30 minutes after 5:00 (5:00, 5:30, 6:00, and so forth)
9. Walk two blocks to marathon staging area (5 minutes)

Based on a quick check it appears about a four to five hour trip to the start from Jersey City given the early Sunday service frequency. Dawn and I will test this on Saturday.

I *heart* redundant public transportation.

Kevin *heart* NYC

Feel the love:

Thanks Paul, Mynga, and Jennifer for sharing the idea and Dawny for stenciling, the heart, and sharing the fumes.

Running With Lance

Lance Armstrong chose to run the NYC Marathon this year for the first time. They're setting up a special LanceCam.

NYC — A Running Itinerary

Guggenheim
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island
Central Park
Empire State Building
Natural History Museum
Top of The Rock -- 70th floor of the Rockefeller building -- completely clear view
Broadway show -- get rush tickets (cash only) at a TCKTS booth in Times Square
Brooklyn Botanical Garden
Junior's Cafe -- cheesecake
Teany — Moby's tea house and vegan restaurant. Note: cash-only establishment run by his wife Kelly.

New Jersey and NYC — Lodging

We chose to stay just outside Manhattan. The Holland Motor Lodge seems to offer what we want — reasonable rates (~$91 before AAA discount), clean rooms, easy access to public transportation, quiet, and most important, consistent, glowing praise. They also have nice bonus amenities like free wifi and breakfast. ^_^

Searching for lodging within Manhattan represented a learning experience for me. TripAdvisor provided helpful insights, letting me know which hotels' rooms were not much bigger than the bed (literally), which ones had reliable hot showers, which ones had cockroaches, and which ones doubled as college overflow housing. It seems to me a general rule is that less than $100 in Manhattan means one will encounter some form of discomfort. A few exceptions do seem to exist. None had rooms available for all the nights we wanted due to the crush of people arriving for the marathon.

New Jersey -- Getting From Point A to Point B

Drafting our trip itinerary this evening for the NYC Marathon trip. First step — getting from Newark Liberty International Airport to the Holland Motor Lodge in Jersey City.

Holland Motor Lodge attendant Quentin told me the way to get to the lodge using public transportation was to take the #62 New Jersey Transit bus from EWR to Newark Penn Station ($1.25/ea), then take the PATH red-line train to Grove Street ($1.50/ea), then either 1) a cab to the lodge for $5, or 2) the PATH yellow-line train to Pavonia/Newport and hoof it the last half-mile. Total cost: $5.50-$11.50 (latter includes $1 tip). The confusion on our part is that the New Jersey Transit Bus #62 schedule prohibits luggage greater than 22"x16"x8". x_x Not sure if driver's enforce this restriction since the bus routinely stops at Newark Liberty Airport.

Taking a train to Newark Penn Station represents a way around the luggage restriction. Newark Liberty Airport's terminal-to-terminal AirTrain ends at the Newark Liberty Airport Train Station. From there the New Jersey Transit Train's blue-line or red-line ($9.50/ea) represents a six-minute trip to Newark Penn Station. Total cost: $22-$28 (latter includes $1 tip).

After some thought we've tentatively chosen an airport taxi. The $42 fare (includes 20% tip of $7) from airport to hotel is fixed-rate and sounds to us like money well-spent. Especially considering our 04:00 PST start time, 7.5 hours on a plane, and the prospect of lugging baggage through unfamiliar public transportation systems at night.

Other ground transportation options exist but the taxi comes out on top financially.

I'm curious to test New Jersey public transportation. Perhaps on the return trip from the lodge to the airport we might try it out.

Running Journal, Sunday, 2006-10-29

Running Journal, Sunday, 2006-10-29
Resting heart rate: 52 bpm (60 second test)
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 18 C (64.4 F)
Time: 08:20-10:20
Terrain: flat
Comments: Volunteered with the Cal-Trans Adopt-A-Highway program this morning. Tons of trash. I filled up six large bags. Looking much better!
Time: 120 minutes (2:00)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: n/a
Total Distance For Year: stopped counting after first marathon
Weight (after run): 80.6 kg, 24% body fat.
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: Multi-berry yogurt, orange juice, raisin-bran cereal

Leatherby's Discount Code

So I remember: PR35ST28

Four Bridges Half Marathon at Lake Natoma

Saw signs on my run today reading "Bike trail closed from Hazel Ave. to Folsom on Oct. 29 for special event." They don't list what the special event is though.

Internet sleuthing reveals it to be the Four Bridges Half Marathon 2006. Fun.

Running Journal, Saturday, 2006-10-28

Running Journal, Saturday, 2006-10-28
Resting heart rate: 56 bpm (60 second test)
Weather: sunny, 1 m/s wind
Temp: 25 C (77 F)
Time: 14:24-16:47
Terrain: mild hills
Comments: Probably will not use the cheap sunglasses I purchased during the NYC marathon itself because they left marks. I want a pair of nice sunglasses designed for athletic use but the prices of the Oakleys and others put me off. x_x Weather was beautiful for running — calm, balmy, and bright. Passed about 100 fishers attempting to catch the king salmon as they swim upriver to spawn and mate. Lots of people out on the trail today walking dogs, biking with their children, or enjoying the fall foliage. Dawn ran with me for 22 minutes then turned back while I continued. This represents my last long run before next Sundays marathon. Can't wait.
Time: 143 (2:23)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 16.13 km (10 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=516280
Total Distance For Year: stopped counting after first marathon
Weight (after run): 80.8 kg, 26% body fat. Not understanding the increase in body fat. Hmm.
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Left big toe black and blue but not hurting. Concerned how this might affect the marathon next Sunday. The muscles behind my right knee felt a bit sore on the return run. I think I might attribute this to running on the uneven, rocky surface in locations to the west of the Nimbus Dam and Lake Natoma (Pioneer Express Trail). The cheap sunglasses I purchased bobbed up and down on my nose occassionally, leaving marks.
Foods eaten today: Multi-berry yogurt, orange juice, whole-wheat bagels with Smart Balance and cinnamon-sugar, raisin-bran cereal

Running Journal, Friday, 2006-10-27

Running Journal, Friday, 2006-10-27
Resting heart rate: bpm (60 second test)
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 23 C (73.4 F)
Time: 14:25
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Resting day today. New York City Marathon only eight and one-half days away. ^____^ Will run 10-12 miles tomorrow for my maintenance long run.
Time: n/a
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: n/a
Total Distance For Year: stopped counting after first marathon
Weight (after run): 80.8 kg, 27% body fat. Not understanding the increase in body fat. Hmm.
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Muscles mildly stiff but otherwise great.
Foods eaten today: Eggo multi-grain toaster waffles, maple syrup, multi-berry yogurt

The Monty Hall Problem

Fun:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_hall_problem

Simulation: http://mozy.com/blog/2006/09/11/probability-is-fun

The Prayer Cycle

For Dawny:

The Prayer Cycle

Running Journal, Thursday, 2006-10-26

Running Journal, Thursday, 2006-10-26
Resting heart rate: 71 bpm (60 second test)
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind (quite blustery)
Temp: 19 C (66.2 F)
Time: 15:00-16:15
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I walked at the American River Parkway, passing five wild turkeys before taking an access road to the power substation and then across a meadow to another wooded trail. I showed her the bees and where the hawk likes to perch. Everything was still again today, the reflection of the trees on the river quite pretty. After taking a trail north of the bike path, we happened along a family of California quail, a black cat, and a black-tailed deer. Walking back along the trail an Acorn Woodpecker greeted us on a branch just over our heads, dropping a twig with dark berries before flying to a higher perch. A late-afternoon walking day — calm, peaceful, the piles of fallen leaves and low river giving hints of the colder times ahead.
Time: 75 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.87 km (2.4 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=513727
Total Distance For Year: stopped counting after first marathon
Weight (after run): 82.8 kg, 27% body fat. This was after eating. Burp.
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Muscles stiff
Foods eaten today: orange juice, bagel with cinnamon sugar and Smart Balance, soy milk and raisin-bran cereal, burritos, chips and Desert Pepper's Corn, Black Bean, and Roasted Red Pepper Salsa, and brownie.

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2006-10-25

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2006-10-25
Resting heart rate: n/a bpm (60 second test)
Weather: sunny, 10 m/s wind (quite blustery)
Temp: 20 C (68 F)
Time: 12:10-13:00
Terrain: flat
Comments: Blustery day today. The National Weather Service issued a strong wind advisory last night due to a low pressure cell moving across the Sacramento Valley. Winds were pleasant with the occasional leaf and debris blown into one's face. Dawn and I ran west along the fire road and back along the bike path. Two fishers plied their luck near Bridge Street. I thought the fallen leaves in the water looked beautiful. The hardwood trees are changing to deep reds while the softwoods turn to shades of yellow and orange (thanks Adam). I am enjoying the contrast in weather immensely.
Time: 50 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 5.9 km (3.7 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=511567
Total Distance For Year: stopped counting after first marathon
Weight (after run): 81.0 kg (178.2 lbs), 26% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Legs felt a bit sore today but otherwise everything working as I expect.
Foods eaten today: Powerbar, banana

Running Journal, Monday, 2006-10-23

Running Journal, Monday, 2006-10-23
Resting heart rate: 64 bpm (60 second test)
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 24.4 C (76 F)
Time: 12:30-2:00
Terrain: mild hills
Comments: Dawn and I ran east from Bridge Street for 22 minutes then walked to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. It was hot today in the early afternoon sun and we both felt it sap our energy. As we approached the hatchery, we met the man who maintains the cat food and water dishes near the fence. He looked like he weighed about 180 lbs., about 6'1", had a black goatee, maybe in his 50's. He had a bike with a plastic grocery bag over one handle and was listening to music through wrap-around headphones. We said hello and after confirming it was he who fed the cats, he pointed out that he feeds them every day. Two cats, one marmalade and the other a greyish-white, ate calmly in their dishes, looking up at us a few times before resuming their meal. He also mentioned he felt nervous that the cats might bolt as we approached, that he has also seen the black cat I have, and that the cats often run under the fence before they feel comfortable enough to eat. As we left we thanked him and he petted the marmalade cat a few times. At the hatchery, we saw three raceway ponds filled with tiny rainbow steelhead trout. The workers were cutting off the adipose fins of the anesthetized steelheads in the raceways so fishers might identify hatchery-raised trout. The law prohibits taking of non-hatchery fish by fishers. The sign we read claimed removal of the adipose fin does not hurt the survival rates of the fish. We noticed that for a nickel children might purchase fish food. A driver operating a motorized cart dispensed food to the raceways through a bucket and extended five-inch chute system. The fish ladder was not in operation during our visit, but at the base of the ladder we viewed the large adult chinook (king) salmon. Dawn and I enjoyed watching and learning how the salmon jump upriver (lots of rapid caudal-fin flapping combined with other muscles), although they could not pass through the metal weirs (removable fences) erected across the river. We walked to the western five raceways and noticed three workers with large brooms wading and sweeping the debris from the tanks. We left the raceways and continued our run back to Bridge Street. The return trip was downhill and a bit shadier than the ascent.
Time: 74 minutes (1:14)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 8.59 km (5.33 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=508452
Total Distance For Year: stopped counting after first marathon
Weight (after run): 82.0 kg (180.4 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Legs felt a bit sore today after running 13 miles on Saturday and walking/standing for a few hours at the Crocker Art Museum on Sunday. Otherwise OK. I noticed I have a moderately-sized black-and-blue spot on my toe from the Whistlestop marathon. My left foot is about a quarter-size larger than my right so it tends to take more of a beating during endurance marathons. I'm hoping it holds up ok during the NYC marathon.
Foods eaten today: Powerbar, banana, Trader Joe's Middle East Feast, orange juice, Golden Delicious apple

Nancy Pelosi on 60 minutes

Democratic Majority Leader Pelosi on 60 Minutes:

"Asked what she would say to Republicans, who have said that Pelosi and the Democrats do not understand the serious nature of the threat, the congresswoman says, "I, as a mother and a grandmother, 14 years on the intelligence committee. Don't tell me I have any underestimation of what the threat is to our country. So, if you want to justify your failed policy by saying we don't understand the threat, clearly you didn't understand the situation you got us into."

I'm not saying this as a "ha-ha" point to end discussion. The issues between Democratic Party members and Republican Party members are complicated. I sensed spunk in her statement and wanted to remember it for later.

Transcript. Video.

Running Journal, Saturday, 2006-10-21

Running Journal, Saturday, 2006-10-21
Resting heart rate: 55 bpm (60 second test)
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 13 C (55.4 F)
Time: 10:00-10:45
Terrain: mostly flat, mild hills
Comments: This is part one of my long run today since I have other commitments. I'll run the last 10 miles this evening. Dawn and I ran together today and I enjoyed her company.
Time: 44 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 5.3 km (3.2 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=504221
Total Distance For Year: stopped counting after first marathon
Weight (after run): 81.4 kg (179 lbs)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Legs felt a bit stiff today, one week after the marathon. Warmed up after 15 minutes and felt fine.
Foods eaten today: Banana

KYDS Song

Los Angeles-based Celtic punk band Flogging Molly's "Selfish Man" from their 2000 album Swagger on the SideOneDummy Records label. Video. Intense.

KYDS Song

London-based Dragonforce's "Once In a Lifetime" from their 2004 album "Sonic Firestorm" on the Noise Records label. Amateur video w/music.

Cheese Curds

California may have happy cows but they don't have cheese curds, as other Wisconsinites have noticed.

Apparently local cheese factories produce them. Will look for one around the Sacramento area for a fix.

UPDATE: The California Milk Advisory Board has a list. Closest cheesemakers seem to be in the Bay Area.

Spray painted Race Directions

Race people, please stop spray painting race info on the bike trail. It looks ugly to me and stays there after the race ends.

UPDATE: Turns out to be spray chalk and they removed it all. Bravo. ^_^

Whistlestop Results

Finish Results

Finish Time	05:29:43.9
Pace	0:12:34
Overall Place	590 out of 608 CenturyTel Full Marathon finishers
Division Place	336 out of 348 Mens Full Marathon finishers
Age Group Place	30 out of 33 M 25-29 finishers
Gender Rank	367 out of 381 M finishers

A personal best for me. I started really slow so for the first time I was in last place for a few minutes. I heard the ambulance's motor about 10-20 meters behind me (it followed the crowd the first 1.5 miles). After that I felt embarrassed and ran faster. I ran out of gas about 16 miles in and runners began passing me again. I had greeted them as I passed them so they wished me well as they went ahead. The course was downhill and had a 15-mph tailwind at times though most of it was sheltered by trees. Felt a bit bored because the trees obscured much of the surrounding landscape. Starting temp was about 1 C (34 F), overcast, quite cold. Dawn and my mother and grandmother took my outer layer at mile five. About half-way through the sun broke out and everything began feeling beautiful. I ended wearing my leggings, gloves, and underarmour. With the white gloves, black leggings and underarmour, and red shorts, my brother's wife noted I looked like Mickey Mouse. I finished strong. My muscles were sore for the remainder of the day and the following day but I feel great now. We celebrated by eating Frankie's Pizza at a party that evening, then I crashed and quickly fell asleep.

Overall a fast race. Might run it again next year. It has about seven beautiful wooden bridges and I enjoyed running a race in my hometown. Negatives include chance of freezing wind, snow, or rain (has happened on at least three occassions).

Link: http://www.itiming.com/html/raceresults.php?year=2006&EventId=183&eventype=0

KYDS Song

Heard them before leaving:

London-based Zero 7's "Spinning" from their 2001 album Simple Things on the Palm Pictures label.

Whistlestop Marathon

Running the Whistlestop Marathon on Saturday. Currently snow flurries, 20-30 mph winds and cold. x_x Purchased cold-weather gear.

Movies and Television Shows I Want to Watch List

Star Wars III, Revenge of the Sith (Dawn has not seen it yet)
Chronicles of Narnia (Dawn)
Six-String Samurai (recommended by Dawn)
Seven Samurai (Kurosawa)
Underworld I + II
Dune
Monkeybone (recommended by Rena's mother because she thinks I look like Brendan Fraser)
Flushed Away (saw playing in Dec 2006 at Sunrise Mall)
The Muppet Movie (Kermit: That's a myth. El Sleezo Tough: Yeah, but she's my "myth"! Kermit: No, no, myth, myth! Myth: Yeth? )
Charlotte's Web (recommended by Don Knutson)
Mama JackThere's a Zulu on My Stoep (aka Yankee Zulu in the USA)
Samurai Spy (1965)
Kill! (Kiru, 1968)
The Twilight Samurai (2002)
Throne of Blood (1957)
Samurai Banners (1969)
Zatoichi (The Blind Swordsman, 2003)
Sword of Doom (1966)
Sanjuro (1962)
Yojimbo (The Bodyguard, 1961)

From Ryan:
Green Wing (hilarious hospital comedy)
Spaced (by the guys that did Shaun of the Dead)
Black Books (sort of the sister show to Spaced)
you mentioned that you've seen the IT Crowd... that's a great show (by teh writer of Black Books), too.
THE MIGHTY BOOSH (one of the funniest shows I've ever seen... hilarious and completely surreal... check this one out for sure!)
Big Train (sketch comedy)
Nighty Night (very dark humor)
Confetti
Peep Show

From Dr. Tak (or students in the assembly CISP-310 class):
Initial D

From Mynga:
Lion in Winter
Tragedy of the Commons
It Happened One Night (1934)

Late August Grand Canyon Trip

Dawn and I traveled across the country in late August, and I finally have time to write down the notes we took on the journey.

Don't expect them to make sense except to Dawn and I. Set your expectations accordingly. It was a fun and silly trip, full of laughter and a touch of sickness.

After exhaustive research on how to move Dawn's personal belongings, we settled on renting a 2006 light-blue Kia Sedona van from Hertz, using my AAA discount. It came up to about $660 for seven days, unlimited miles, and one-way rental. Alternatives included Penske truck rentals (fuel economy plus cost of fuel, didn't need the room), moving company (expensive, industry lacks adequate federal oversight and so lots of sleazy business practices) or driving my car there and back (too small). U-Haul turns out to be the worst rated self-moving companies due to the aging fleet. Apparently one-way rentals also tend to get the worst vans because the company renting it most likely won't see it again. Go figure.

Day One: Hudson, Wisconsin to North Platte, Nebraska

Play PC feature from Weird Al's CD "Running with Scissors"
Poodle Hat
Forgotten Eagles Motorcycler from Michigan
Biggest ball of Whine: Kevin
Passed by Bridges of Madison County
Dawn takes over driving in Adair, Iowa
Buckle Up for Life -- forEVAR :) These were awareness-raising signs we saw in Iowa.
Post-modern restrooms. We saw lots of signs proclaiming rest stops with "modern" restrooms along the interstate but no postmodern ones.
National American Taco Sports Network. We made this up after seeing a sign proclaiming NATSN. Apparently it's not about tacos.
Buddy Holly Crash Site
My son are Army National Guard. We can't remember why we wrote this down.
Amazing Pizza Machine -- It's people, it's people. We were really hungry and we ended up at this family entertainment restaurant, sort of a gigantic Chuck E. Cheese. We had discussed Soylent Green recently and so we imagined the pizza machine was fed people, people. We were hungry. x_x

Day Two: North Platte, Nebraska to Moab, Utah

"Creepies"
Claude and Ra's first camping trip (Ra roasting marshmallows by fire, Claude has smore in front); instant smore just add water (pill form)
Village Inn Restaurant in North Platte -- Bleh. x_x Chocolate strawberry crepes good but otherwise...hashbrown portions tiny
Yellow flowers (brown center) of Colorado, along highway 76
Casa Bonita

Day Three: Moab, Utah to Grand Canyon Village, Arizona

Drove through Arches National Park -- must come back!
Moab Diner -- A++!
Dawn, after years of therapy, finally heals from the piece of ham left behind "Please, don't leave me," says the ham.
Bob Dole just won't go away! We entertained ourselves by saying various things with the prefix, "Bob Dole...."
Mexican Hat
Navajo Rez -- people speaking Navajo -- Dawn wants desperately to look up Navajo letters
"Hay!"
Ra and Claude's most excellent adventure
Nearly hit: bunny, birds, sheep, horses, squirrel. All survived.
Bluebird Diner -- where bluebirds dine
Horses everywhere!
Horses grazing on edge of road/sidewalk in Navajo Rez town
"Chief!" (ask Kevvy) from the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, when Nicholson says "Hit me, Chief, I got the moves!" during a game of basketball.
"Chief Yellow Horse *heart* You!" Chief Yellowhorse died in 1999.
P.D.Q. Bach -- New Horizons in Music Appreciation: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony Sportcast.
Sneaky Pete and the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals

Day Four: Grand Canyon Village, Arizona to Bakersfield, California

Raven gets in the chips
Smores grow on trees! Claue and Ra shall sniff them out!
Slice me offa piece of that Yavapai! (at the Yava Java cafe). This is a made-up cafe after we noticed that there is a Yavapai Lodge. Yava pie. Fun.
California condors -- we saw one circling over us. They're all tagged now.
Ra missed out on seeing the Temple of Ra -- alas, pets not allowed on the park buses. To make up for it, Claude and Ra got to wrestle a ginormous bear statue to the ground on the way to Bakersfield, CA.
Ranger Bob (adopted two-mile stretch of Highway SR64 outside of Grand Canyon National Park)
Ra -- looks at "All the Birds of North America" -- he is browsing the menu so he can order room-service.
How do they transport the space shuttle back to Cape Canaveral from Edwards Air Force Base?
Giant Evil Ninja Robot from Jupiter -- gave Kevvy a warning -- likes stinky chees and pb and sardine sandwiches
Daggett "Don't consign me to your rummage sale of love, Baby!" We thought the name sounded like a lounge singer.
Teany -- Moby's tea house and vegetarian restaurant
Claude eating citation

Day Five: Bakersfield, California to Citrus Heights, California

A big tractor next to a Stonehenge.... A surreal dream I had. Ask Dawn for details, she remembers but I don't. :)
"By this time my lungs were aching for air." -- mouthwash out nose
Charles Ives: clarinet players bonk flute players over heads. We were listening to his Variations on America
T-shirt: where my peeps at?
Bushes in median -- what are the flowers?
cwocorp.com: wine by barrel?
Recordings of Harpo talking
Gourmet jerky bar before Sequoia National Park
Astronomy Picture of the Day -- "Belt of Venus"
Sacramento Zoo

Whew x_x'''

Woodland Corn Maze

Dawn and I visited the Woodland Corn Maze on Thursday. It was the first corn maze in California and we enjoyed the hour-long walk through the corn-field. If you look closely at the picture you can make out the ship, the parrot, and the pirate with a blade in his mouth. Afterward we visited Vicini's Pizza in Vacaville, the best pizza I've ever tasted. Take the Alamo exit off of I-80 then follow that until you get to Peabody. On our way to Vicini's we noticed a sign reading "Milo Maze" but it turns out that is another name for sorghum, so I'm not sure if it was a sign describing the crop or an attraction. Link to other corn mazes.

Feel Good Blinker

The name for using a car's blinker halfway through a lane change or turning on the blinker a split second before merging. It has no practical benefit.

KYDS Songs

Washington D.C. The Fuzz's "I Love You For All Seasons," from their 1971 album "The Fuzz" on the Calla label.

Oakdale, CA-based Brett Dennen's "There Is So Much More," from his 2006 album "So Much More" on the Dualtone Music Group label. Video. Great voice; I can't find the lyrics. :(

Seminole County, Florida-native Mandy Moore's "In My Pocket," from her 2001 album "Mandy Moore," on the Epic label. Video.

Sussex, UK-native Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten," from her 2006 album "Unwritten" on the Sony BMG label. Video.

Spartanburg, South Carolina-based The Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See," from their 1973 album "The Marshall Tucker Band" on the AJK Music label. Video. "...till the train run out of track...."

Bellingham, Washington-based Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into The Dark," from their 2005 album Plans on the Atlantic Records label. Video. Gives me chills.

Los-Angeles-based The Aquabats' "My Skateboard!" from their 1997 album "The Fury of the Aquabats!" on the Goldenvoice Records label.

Calgary, Alberta-based Tegan and Sara's "Living Room" from their 2003 album, "If It Was You," on the Vapor/Sanctuary label. Video. Weird and beautiful.

Pork

Dawn and I noticed a billboard at the corner of Sylvan and Auburn that reads: "Open to experimentation?" and features a swatch of black leather surrounding a partially-opened zipper. The sub-caption reads: www.theotherwhitemeat.com. Surprising.

Bumper Sticker

Cute: "Wouldn't you rather be behind a book?"

Dream House

Walking in Sacramento's chi-chi Fabulous Forties district last week, Dawn and I marked down features of houses we liked:

• porch: rock, overhang
• windows: open and large
• fence: wrought-iron with rectangular, white concrete posts and red brick
• brick: red and black with coffee-colored stucco
• windows: 1/2 orange slice on top
• Japanese smiley face house: ^∩^
• porch: columns, brown, green plants; brick steps, dark brown door
• turret
• two-story arch over front door
• lots of windows along base
• balcony over front door
• Tutor style
• brick and stucco; brick along tops of windows or along corners
• unusual window shapes

Most of these were things Dawn noticed. We're in the mood for downloading software for designing a dream house but that's a project with a lot of steps to go through. To be continued.

Cobbler Restaurant

Going through things I've heard on the radio the past few days. Cobbler Restaurant has down-home cooking. And they don'thave any major violations of the public health code, unlike many other upscale, local restaurants. x_x

Uncle Kevin

Baby Owen Daniel Schultz is six pounds, 11 ounces, 20 inches in length, born at 01:27 and very healthy. The labor took about four hours. Apparently my brother Bryan got his wish of having an October baby.

Congratulations and well wishes to you both on this happy day.

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