GregoryCam 200807

Border to Border Tour

2008-07-31T23:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome, Tumbleweed Tiny House Visitors!

Click here to visit the main Border to Border Tour page!

The Border to Border Tour daily journal entries can be found between July 13 and July 29. These are Greg's random observations and thoughts during the trip.

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Note: The entries found below on this page are Greg's journal entries for the last day of the month of July, back in Iowa City after the Border to Border Tour.

Back Home, 20080831th2228

2008-07-31T22:28:00.001-05:00

Riding home, 20080731th2214

2008-07-31T22:14:00.000-05:00

Riding to my Office, 20080731th2049

2008-07-31T20:49:00.000-05:00

I'm riding my bicycle to my office.

Riding to Post Office, 20080731th2035

2008-07-31T20:35:00.000-05:00

Home, 20080731th2000

2008-07-31T20:01:00.000-05:00

I arrived home a little while ago. I'm planning to make a trip
downtown on my bicycle, stop at the post office, and check-in at my
office, but then come right back home.

Arrived in Cedar Rapids, 20080731th1835

2008-07-31T18:51:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Cedar Rapids around 6:35 PM. It's 6:50 PM now, and I'm
waiting for my ride to Iowa City.

Minneapolis, 20080731th1644

2008-07-31T16:49:00.000-05:00

I had to board the flight in Phoenix quickly and wasn't able to post a
journal update. I'm in Minneapolis now, I arrived at about 4:20. I'm
waiting to depart on a 5:30 PM flight to Cedar Rapids (Northwest 3289)
that is scheduled to arrive in Cedar Rapids around 6:30 PM.

Veggie Burrito, 20080731th0706

2008-07-31T09:06:00.001-05:00

I'm having a veggie burrito for breakfast.

Angels at Taberna Del Tequila, 20080731th0701

2008-07-31T09:01:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning at 3:30 AM to catch a 6:50 AM flight. I was told to increase my chances of getting on a flight, I should check-in shortly after 4AM. Instead of taking the 6:50 I decided to stay a little longer in the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. My decision to stay was largely influenced by the airline telling me there were no more seats available on the plane. I'm now at the Taberna Del Tequila to get some Mexican food for breakfast.

Photos of Desert near Phoenix Zoo, 20080731th1830

2008-07-31T08:29:00.000-05:00

I've posted photos of the desert near the Phoenix Zoo. A slideshow is below.

Waiting on standby, 20080731th0442

2008-07-31T06:44:00.001-05:00

I'm waiting on sandby for a flight that leaves at 6:50 AM. Boarding
begins at 6:10 AM.

60 seconds late, 20080731th0402

2008-07-31T06:16:00.000-05:00

I arrived at the hotel front desk at 4:01 AM, and the shuttle driver
said to me, "You're late." I thought he was joking, but he was
serious. I'd already paid for the room, so checkout took about 30
seconds and we were literally on the road by 4:02 AM.

Last night when I arranged for the shuttle, the person I spoke to
suggested (implied) that the shuttle driver on duty in the middle of
the night (early in the morning) would just be sitting around doing
nothing...

... Nothing except watching the second hand on the clock, I guess.

In the time it took to write this entry, I already arrived at the
airport and I'm third in line at the ticket counter.

I'll check back in a little while.

~ Greg

www.resourcesforlife.com/g

Early morning, 20080731th0350

2008-07-31T05:51:00.000-05:00

I woke around 3:30 AM, and am now gathering my things so I can get to
the airport early.

Going swimming, 20080730we2126

2008-07-30T23:27:00.000-05:00

I'm going swimming and then to bed.

Hotel Cats, 20080730we2119

2008-07-30T23:22:00.000-05:00

These are the hotel cats. They live here. It's nice having pets
roaming around at a hotel. You can see their white food and water bowl
in the background (left).

Cab Ride Back to Hotel, 20080730we2020

2008-07-30T22:21:00.000-05:00

Back at the Hotel. As I was walking in the desert, I heard a voice call to me from the darkness. I turned around and it was the cab driver. The driver and his wife had come back to see how I was doing and asked me if I needed a ride back to the hotel. It was really nice of them to come back. They actually were really nice people. In my writing earlier, I was using a little bit of creative latitude in describing the cab ride to the zoo. I'm back at the hotel, text-chatting with Makur, and getting ready to go swimming after a little while before the pool closes at 10:00 PM.

Going West, 20080730we1945

2008-07-30T21:54:00.001-05:00

I'm walking west now, still in the desert, toward North Galvin
Parkway. My iPhone GPS is working flawlessly, guiding me back to
civilization. I met three bicyclists in the desert. One had just
returned from Iowa, having ridden across the entire state with RAGBRAI.

Yesterday, I met a 45 year old man who swims in ocean waters as cold
as 45 degrees Fahrenheit. He said there are people in their 80s who go
swimming with him. They also swim in the harsh rip currents under the
Golden Gate Bridge. I was inspired.

As I return to the hotel, I'll keep posting updates along the way.

Killer Bees, 20080730we1916

2008-07-30T21:40:00.000-05:00

After hiking a distance, with no sign of life, I saw a truck
approaching. As the truck came closer, I could see it was a park ranger.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"The zoo closes early because of the heat. It's still 106 degrees.
Nobody stays outside in this heat," the ranger replied going on to
explain that people are hospitalized when they stay out too long in
this extreme dry heat. One needs plenty of water, the ranger
explained. I'd had a glass of water on the plane, but none with me.

Still, I wasn't pursuaded. I wanted to go climbing up the face of a
rock that I saw in the distance, so I thanked the ranger and continued
on my way. I thought it would be fun to look for venomous snakes in
the rocks. As I got closer to the cliff, I saw a sign warning of
killer bees. I'm not someone who's afraid of a few bees, so I
continued on my way.

(To be continued...)

Desert Wilderness, 20080730we1910

2008-07-30T21:13:00.000-05:00

The cab zoomed away like a Nascar racer out of the pit. When the dust
cleared, I got my bearings and began walking. I wasn't about to lose
more money on another cab. Although I was in the middle of nowhere,
and the cab ride took a long time, I figured I could use my outdoor
survival skills to make it back to the city.

Phoenix Zoo, 20080730we1842

2008-07-30T21:02:00.000-05:00

As the taxi cab approached the Phoenix Zoo, my enthusiasm increased.
I'd heard a lot about the zoo, and was looking forward to seeing it. I
was surprised that a zoo of such great reputation would have only a
few cars parked in it's huge parking lot.

My excitement about the zoo diminished slightly when I saw that they
closed at 2:00 in the afternoon on weekdays. Apparently "Banker's
Hours" and "Zoo Keeper's Hours" were about the same here.

The zoo was like a ghost town. The cab driver just dropped me off
saying, "Phoenix Zoo. That'll be thirteen dollars." I gave him a
twenty. "I only have three," he said handing me three crumpled one
dollar bills from his pocket.

(To be continued...)

New Itinerary, 20080730we1810

2008-07-30T20:10:00.000-05:00

I'm now checked-in to a local hotel. The photo above is of the swimming pool. I'll plan to go to bed very early tonight so I can wake around 3:30 AM to catch a 4AM shuttle back to the airport. I'm on standby, and was told that I should arrive as early as possible.

The flight I hope to catch leaves around 6:30 in the morning. If I catch the flight, I'll arrive in Minneapolis in the afternoon, and then return to Cedar Rapids around 2:30 PM. I don't have the specific details in front of me, but those are the general times.

It's about 6:15 PM and I'm planning to go visit the local zoo here (about 2 miles away) to see the sites and take some photos. The pool at the hotel closes at 10PM. I hope to be back by 9PM to go swimming before going to bed. I'll be checking email between now and then.

Visiting Phoenix and Tempe, AZ, 20080730we1718

2008-07-30T19:25:00.000-05:00

Visiting Arizona. After giving it some thought, I decided to stay over in the Phoenix / Tempe, Arizona area to enjoy the sites and do some photographing. My decision to stay over came shortly after missing my connecting flight and being told there were no other flights out of Phoenix going to Minneapolis/Cedar Rapids until tomorrow. So, that circumstance largely influenced my decision to stay.

Temperature. It's now 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit).

Night Sky Photos of Stars, 20080730we1535

2008-07-30T17:35:00.000-05:00

I just finished uploading the two night sky photos of stars.

Late Lunch, 20080730we1434

2008-07-30T16:36:00.000-05:00

I'm at the Phoenix Airport waiting for my next flight, scheduled to leave at 4:30 PM. I'm having a veggie burrito for lunch.

La Vida Es Un Carnaval by Celia Cruz

2008-07-30T16:32:00.000-05:00

The above photo is from the Hotel Angeleno, but it seemed to fit this journal entry. I'm sitting in the Phoenix airport, at a nice mexican restaurant (Tequileria) listening to La Vida Es Un Carnaval. Last year I posted the lyrics to this song on my journal.

It's warm in Phoenix: 41 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit).

Last night, after visiting (text chatting) with my Fiancée (who is now in India), I went outside to look at the stars. As soon as I looked up, there was a shooting star. This was similar to the experience I had in the mountains of Aromas, California. I'd looked up to immediately see a shooting star.

Last night, in the silent and dark hills of Sebastopol, the night sky was very clear and radiant. I could see the Milky Way, and numerous stars. I decided to test the manual setting of my camera and slow down the shutter speed to about 30 seconds (the slowest setting). This setting, with a lense opening of F 2.8 (focal ratio / relative aperture), was ideal to capture the night sky. I'll try to post those pictures later.

My food just arrived...

Airline Travel, Sudden Cabin Pressure Change, Ear Comfort Protection, 20080730we1252

2008-07-30T15:22:00.000-05:00

During takeoff and landing, and even while traveling, sudden changes
in cabin pressure can result in ear pain.

Wearing expanding foam ear plugs can help buffer dramatic changes in
air pressure. Air can still enter and escape from the ear canal, but
at a much slower rate. In this way, a sudden drop or increase in cabin
pressure, may not even effect the pressure on the ear if the pressure
returns to normal again.

This technique may work for babies or small children, but safety,
advisability, and results of effectiveness are unknown (by me).

Quality ear plugs are usually available at hardware stores and drug
stores, as well as being available online.

I'm currently using Howard Leight ear plugs. I've used other brands
that seem to work about as well. When removing the ear plugs, it's
possible to keep them clean and fresh (slightly moist and not dry) by
wiping them with a Huggies Natural Care baby wipe (or similar product).

When choosing ear plugs, I usually select a product that has high
noise reducing capabilities. It seems that these are more dense, and
tend to be reusable longer.

Most ear plugs can drop the sound level by 30 decibles (db) or more.
This is a general figure. The frequency response while listening to
the ambient surrounding noises will generally be lower across the
entire spectrum of frequencies. It may be possible to still hear
people talking. High frequency noises will have trouble penetrating
the ear plugs. Lower frequencies will have less trouble.

Ear plugs can be very useful in other circumstances, venues, and
situations including:
• When at a live music concert, amplification of the music is usually
too loud to enjoy
• Reducing noise while traveling in a car
• While using outdoor machinery such as mowing the lawn, tilling
soil, operating a tractor, using a weed trimmer, using any device with
a small gas motor
• While using a vacuum cleaner
• When trying to sleep - for greater comfort, consider softer
earplugs for sleeping

Caution should be used when sleeping or engaging in activities to
ensure you can be alerted to any nearby dangers. For example, you
should be able to hear a smoke alarm.

Advertising on Airline Seat Back Tray Tables, 20080730we1236

2008-07-30T14:46:00.000-05:00

This U.S. Airways flight has advertising on the seat back tray tables.
I wonder how much it costs to advertise on the trays. I also wonder if
commercially subsidized airline travel might one day be available for
free (like television programming) or if the extra revenue from
advertising will simply just go to the upper management in the airline
industry without benefitting us (the customers) or the hard working
crew and airline workers.

I expect to pay for advertising free experiences. For example, some
websites that are free (with advertising) offer paid options to
experience the site without advertising. Television programming with
advertising is free, but pay channels typically have little or no
advertising because the revenue comes from paying customers.

I think people feel it's unfair to pay for something, and then still
be advertised to. The tendency to put advertising everywhere, just to
make more money, is not well received by those who are exposed to it.

Boarding the Plane, 20080730we1141

2008-07-30T13:43:00.000-05:00

Instead of posting a sign, I wonder why they don't just remove the
chemicals.

At the San Francisco Airport, 20080730we1129

2008-07-30T13:30:00.001-05:00

I'm at the San Francisco Airport waiting to board. My flight to
Phoenix leaves at noon.

Airport Express Shuttle Bus from Santa Rosa to SFO, 20080730we0839

2008-07-30T10:46:00.000-05:00

I'm riding the Airport Express shuttle bus that goes from Santa Rosa
to the San Francisco airport. It takes two hours and fifteen minutes
to reach the airport from here. We're scheduled to arrive at the
airport around 10:45 AM.

www.AirportExpressInc.com

20080730we0714

2008-07-30T09:15:00.000-05:00

I'm up for the day and will be leaving soon for Santa Ross to catch
the bus going to the SFO airport.

New Photos Online, 20080730we0120

2008-07-30T03:20:00.000-05:00

I got back home from dinner around 10PM and then stayed up for a while after that. It's now about 1:20 AM, and I'm ready for bed. I've posted some new photo collections which bring the online galleries up to date. The new galleries are: Mexican Border, San Diego, California Plains, and Wind Power. Slide shows are below.

White Gaspscho, 20080729tu1955

2008-07-29T21:55:00.000-05:00

Restaurant Eloise, 20080729tu1911

2008-07-29T21:12:00.000-05:00

We're having dinner at Restaurant Eloise in Sebastopol.

Wind Power Photos, 20080729tu1837

2008-07-29T20:21:00.000-05:00

We drove past Wind Power Generators on our way from Oakland to Sebastopol. Photos are now online, and a slideshow is below.

Middle Eastern Plate, 20080729tu1753

2008-07-29T19:53:00.000-05:00

I'll be having dinner later on this evening, but I'm not sure when. We're planning to get together with friends. I'm having the Middle Eastern Plate and Raspberry Fizz as an appetizer until then.

Infusions Teahouse, 20080729tu1745

2008-07-29T19:45:00.000-05:00

After my run today, I showered, got dressed, and came to the Infusions Teahouse to catch up on my online work, emails, and posting photos.

National Peace Site, 20080729tu1623

2008-07-29T18:26:00.000-05:00

I'm finished with my trail run through Ragle Ranch Regional Park, and
have returned to the National Peace Site. I'll return from here,
running back to the Vardo Gypsy Wagon.

National Peace Site, 20080729tu1600

2008-07-29T18:03:00.000-05:00

I've reached the National Peace Site. I'm walking the spiral to the
center and out again, then I'll continue on my run.

War is Not The Answer, 20080729tu1548

2008-07-29T17:53:00.000-05:00

I've run through the Sebastopol Memorial Lawn Cemetary, where many
veterans are buried, west along Bodega Avenue, and now I'm heading
north (and slightly west) along Ragle Road, passing the War is Not The
Answer sign.

Going Running, 20080729tu1525

2008-07-29T17:35:00.000-05:00

I didn't go running this morning. Instead, I wanted to complete the 54
Minute Peace Run in Sebastopol that I'd established and ran each day
from July 17 to July 22. I only have today and tomorrow morning here
in Sebastopol before returning to Iowa City. So, I hope to run the
route at least two more times before leaving.

The Border to Border Tour has been a really nice event to be a part
of. I'll write more when I have the benefit of a full-size keyboard.
Right now I'm writing using my iPhone.

Photo Art, 20080729tu1307

2008-07-29T15:11:00.000-05:00

We're on Highway 580 West crossing the Richmond Bridge north of the
San Francisco Bay area. Because the iPhone shutter speed is slow, it
tends to distort fast moving objects. In this photo, I was moving
(rotating) the camera to exaggerate this effect.

Ready to Roll... to Sebastopol, 20080729tu0914

2008-07-29T11:14:00.000-05:00

Waffle Maker, 20080729tu0814

2008-07-29T10:22:00.000-05:00

While traveling to the east coast in January this year with my
Fiancée, I was surprised to see the same brand of waffle maker in
almost all of the hotels we stopped in. Out here in California, I'm
finding that same brand of waffle maker. I'm going to avoid the
waffles since I'm trying really hard to stay fit on this trip.

Morning Light, 20080729tu0655

2008-07-29T08:58:00.000-05:00

I woke up a little while ago, about 8 hours after going to sleep. I'm
going to do my morning stretches (Yoga/Pilates), breathing exercises,
and meditation. I'll wait to go running until we've returned to
Sebastopol, around noon today.

Stopping for the night, 20080728mo2213

2008-07-29T00:13:00.000-05:00

We're about three hours south of Sebastopol and stopping for the night since it's late. I'm going to upload the latest photos and then go to sleep for the night. [2236] It's about 10:30 PM and I'm starting to get tired. I've started the photo publishing process, but will plan to finish tomorrow at Infusions Teashop. There are a lot of photos to review.

Kettleman City, 20080728mo2020

2008-07-28T22:24:00.000-05:00

We're just south of Kettleman City on Highway 5. We were able to get
some good video and photos. Now we have about 4 hours and 45 minutes
until we reach Sebastopol.

Third Encounter With Police, 20080728mo1920

2008-07-28T21:35:00.000-05:00

We just had our third encounter for the day with the California State
Police. This time we weren't traveling too fast, we were moving too
slow. Actually, we weren't moving at all. We'd stopped in the middle
of the road to take still pictures of the truck with Jay's house.

Instead of hassling us, the officer asked if we were okay. When we
explained we were taking photos and video, he said, "Okay," and drove
away.

Fueling, $156.41 to fill up, 20080728mo1715

2008-07-28T19:16:00.000-05:00

We stopped in Gorman to fuel up. The large tank and high fuel prices
make filling up quite expensive.

More bad news / good news, 20080728mo1632

2008-07-28T18:41:00.000-05:00

We're traveling north along Highway 5, north of Castaic. We're on a
stretch of road where trucks and other larger vehicles hauling loads
(such as houses) are expected to be in the right lane and presumably
traveling at 55 miles per hour.

In our second encounter with the California Police today, we just had
an officer pull up beside us on his motorcycle and signal Jay to pull
over. Maybe it was because we were going about 70 miles per hour or
maybe it was because we were in the wrong lane.

Jay used his "Jedi Mind Tricks," waved, and the officer just continued
down the road.

Going through Los Angeles, 20080728mo1543

2008-07-28T17:45:00.000-05:00

We're on Highway 5, just north west of the exit for Highway 110
(around mile 137).

North on Highway 5, near Capistrano Beach, 20080728mo1421

2008-07-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

Along the Park, 20080728mo1221

2008-07-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

We've moved to the street along the park.

Mission Bay Park, Crown Point, Open House, 20080728mo1117

2008-07-28T13:41:00.000-05:00

We arrived at Crown Point shortly before 11:00 AM.

We've had some interesting "good news & bad news" experiences this
morning...

Bad news... We didn't realize we were going over the speed limit until
a police car pulled up next to us. Good news... The officer simply
told us to slow down and went on his way. :-)

Bad news... I forgot my nice Sony camera in a restroom. Good news...
We went back later and someone had turned it in.

Crown Point Coffee, 20080728mo0902

2008-07-28T11:03:00.000-05:00

We've stopped at Crown Point Coffee.

Crown Point, in Mission Bay Park, 20080728mo0841

2008-07-28T10:41:00.000-05:00

Mexican Border, 20080728mo0745

2008-07-28T09:50:00.000-05:00

We've reached the Mexican border.

Morning Shoreline, 20080728mo0615

2008-07-28T08:22:00.000-05:00

We pulled into a rest stop last night. Because of the length of the
truck and the house on the trailer behind us, we parked in the truck
area. I woke a little while ago and discovered that the rest stop is
near the ocean.

South on Highway 405, 20080727su1839

2008-07-27T20:39:00.000-05:00

We're driving to Santa Ana for a radio interview.

Photos from Run/Walk/Hike, 20080727su1405

2008-07-27T16:04:00.000-05:00

Photos from my Run/Walk/Hike on the Getty View Trail are now available. A slideshow is below.

Lunch, 20080727su1347

2008-07-27T15:48:00.000-05:00

Veggie sandwich, fries, and salad.

Run/Walk/Hike Complete, 20080727su1124

2008-07-27T13:24:00.001-05:00

Shortly after returning to civilization, I met a young (20s something) newly engaged couple out for their Sunday walk. When I explained to them where I'd walked/run/hiked they looked at me with disbelief, "Up there?!" they exclaimed looking at the hills above us. They are from Los Angeles, and regularly walk the fire road, but were unaware of any hiking trails along the ridge of the mountain range. Apparently since there are no signs, it's easy to get off the main trail and not know it. I'm going to post some photos from my run/walk/hike.

I Made It!, 20080727su1040

2008-07-27T12:51:00.000-05:00

I made it over the three mountain ranges, avoiding rattlesnakes, and managing not to fall off steep cliffs to the ground hundreds of feet below. There were no signs marking the way. Navigating the last portion of the trail required going backwards and using my hands as well to slide down the steep incline of loose sharp rocks.

When the dust cleared, I looked up and saw another stupid park sign!

Looking South, 20080727su1027

2008-07-27T12:31:00.000-05:00

After going south over several hill tops, I'm now on the southern most hill along the east side of Highway 405, north east of the Getty Center and south east of the Getty Center entrance. My iPhone GPS mapping system shows that a fire road is just west of the ridge that I'm on. It looks like there may be a trail leading down from here. I'll report back soon.

Looking Down, 20080727su1016

2008-07-27T12:17:00.000-05:00

Here's another view looking down. In the right side of this picture you can see a vineyard, which I was told was one of the few (maybe the only) vineyard in Los Angeles.

Distance Perspective, 20080727su1012

2008-07-27T12:13:00.000-05:00

The Hotel Angeleno can be seen very faintly at the bottom of the hill
on the left of the Getty Center.

Looking Down, 20080727su1005

2008-07-27T12:08:00.000-05:00

There is a fairly steep drop off along the trail. In some points the
trail has eroded away and the remaining path is about 6 inches wide.
I'm actually surprised that someone took the time to put up a park
sign encouraging people to come up this way.

Steep Uphill Climb, 20080727su1001

2008-07-27T12:02:00.000-05:00

It's hard to convey in a photo how steep the incline is here, but the
trail is about to go up 45 degrees and rise about 50 feet.

Looking South, 20080727su0952

2008-07-27T11:53:00.001-05:00

This is the view looking south from part way up the hill.

Elfin Forest, 20080727su0934

2008-07-27T11:34:00.000-05:00

Getty View Trail Map, 20080727su0917

2008-07-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

This is a photo of the trail map. The trail is a 3/4 mile route up the
mountain/hill. I've zoomed out on my iPhone using the GPS mapping with
satellite imaging and can better see where I am. I can see on my
mapping system, the stretch of beach that runs along Santa Monica
curving up to the north west. It is south of my location. So, if I'm
high enough and the skies remain clear, there should be a view of the
ocean. The sign at the trail entrance warns of rattlesnakes. I
typically try to stay away from venemous snakes. There's also a
description about the Elfin Forest (or Chaparrel). I'll try to stay
clear of elves as well.

Getty View Trailhead, 20080727su0906

2008-07-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

I walked north from the Hotel Angeleno, and then ran part of the way
to the entrance of the Getty Center. The guard told me about the Getty
View Trail, so I continued running north and am now at the trailhead.
I had plenty of sleep last night, so I'm planning to go on an extended
run this morning. I'd like to reach the top of the hill range here and
get some pictures.

When I'm done, I plan to return to the Hotel Angeleno and join the
group at the Design Workshop.

Morning Light, 20080727su0611

2008-07-27T08:14:00.001-05:00

I woke up a few minutes ago. I'm planning to do my morning stretching
(Yoga/Pilates), deep breathing exercises, meditation, and running.

Going to Bed, 20080726sa2138

2008-07-26T23:37:00.000-05:00

Going to Bed. It's about 9:30 PM right now. The poolside fireplace photo was from around 8:00 PM. The day went very well, but I'm fairly tired now and getting ready for bed. I just finished uploading photos from today's workshop. As long as I have a connection to the Internet, I've been trying to keep the photo gallery current. The photo above was from this evening at dusk as the clouds were rolling into the hills. Below is a slideshow of the photos from today. It takes a while to select and upload the photos. I add location information and captions as well. So, the process is fairly time consuming.

Poolside Lounge, 20080726sa2009

2008-07-26T22:09:00.000-05:00

Veggie Sandwich and Salad, 20080726sa1841

2008-07-26T20:41:00.000-05:00

Workshop Continues, 20080726sa1349

2008-07-26T15:50:00.000-05:00

Lunch at the Hotel Angeleno, 20080726sa1302

2008-07-26T15:02:00.000-05:00

Veggie sandwich and salad.

Real Player for Mac OS X, 20080726sa1151

2008-07-26T13:46:00.000-05:00

I'm downloading and installing RealPlayer for Mac OS X so that I can play the RAM audio file of my July 11 book reading at Prairie Lights Books that aired on the local Public Radio affiliate WSUI in Iowa City. More information is available on the Prairie Lights webpage. I'm hoping to convert the RAM file into an MP3 file for greater compatibility and easier listening.

Workshop Begins, 20080726sa0902

2008-07-26T11:02:00.000-05:00

Photo. This is a photo from the Bel Air Conference Room on the 16th floor of the Hotel Angeleno, 170 N Church Lane, Los Angeles, California 90040. Jay's small home can be seen in the lower right corner of the picture. The Getty Center buildings can be seen on the right and on the hill in the distance. The Museum Heights Condos are on the left.

Workshop. The Building Workshop is underway and going well with a very nice group of people from the area in attendance. The facilities here at the Hotel Angeleno are very nice as are the staff who have been very helpful and accommodating.

Additional Photo Galleries Now Available. I've been trying to keep up with posting the high quality photos from my Sony DSC-N2 camera - a 10 megapixel still camera. If you are interested in photography, I'd encourage you to take a look at my public galleries.

Email Sending Challenges. Over the past few weeks, I've had trouble sending email using an email client (with an SMTP server). Receiving is fine. There are occasionally situations when a wireless router in a home or business (such as coffee shop or hotel) may be configured in a way that causes connection difficulties with an SMTP server. Specifically, my email account service providers allow me to receive email (using a POP server), but not send email (because the SMTP server connection isn't working). The problem exists on my notebook computer and on the iPhones. It is a problem with email accounts from two different providers. So, my only means of sending an email is to rely on the iPhone and ensure that I'm not connected to local wireless Internet, but instead using the AT&T network connection. Sometimes it has been necessary to "reset the network settings" which allows the iPhone to clear any internal settings that are network related. This is done through Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. An alternative to using an email client would be to use the web interface for email access. People who use services such as Hotmail or Yahoo typically go to their respective web pages to send and receive email - rather than using an email client (software program like Outlook) to send and receive email.

Morning Report. Because Internet service has been hard to find, and our schedule has kept us on the road, I've had to put in long hours to catch up on work when I do have Internet access with my notebook (when we're stationary). So last night, around 10PM, I started working on getting caught up with my digital life. There is a nice "business center" here at the Hotel Angeleno and wireless Internet is throughout most of the hotel. After a few hours of sleep, I woke up and helped Jay get ready for today's workshop. I hope to get some rest later today, and get to bed earlier tonight.

Hotel Angeleno, 20080725fr2319

2008-07-26T01:19:00.000-05:00

We're now settled in near the Hotel Angeleno. All preparations have been made for the workshop this weekend. I'm in the hotel utilizing their wireless service and getting caught up on email and other tasks that I couldn't do from the road. I'll probably be going to sleep in an hour.

Open House Report, 20080725fr1921

2008-07-25T21:25:00.000-05:00

The open house in Los Angeles was well attended. Many thanks to all who attended. We're on our way into the foothills of Los Angeles to take some photos.

Hotel Angeleno, 20080725fr1654

2008-07-25T19:00:00.000-05:00

This is the view from the Hotel Angeleno, 170 N Church Lane, Los Angeles, California 90040. Jay's small home can be seen between the trees on the street. The Getty Center buildings can be seen on the right and on the hill in the distance. The Museum Heights Condos are on the left. We are making arrangements for the weekend workshops. We're behind schedule for our 5:00 PM open house. We should arrive by 5:45 or 6:00 PM.

Sherman Oaks Castle Park, 20080825fr1529

2008-07-25T17:29:00.000-05:00

We stopped at what we thought would be a typical park. It turned out to be the Sherman Oaks Castle Park amusement center with miniature golf, batting cages, an arcade, and other activities.

Sherman Oaks Castle Park, 20080725fr1521

2008-07-25T17:22:00.000-05:00

We stopped at what we thought would be a typical park. It turned out to be the Sherman Oaks Castle Park amusement center with miniature golf, batting cages, an arcade, and other activities.

Going to Los Angeles, 20080725fr1337

2008-07-25T15:46:00.000-05:00

We're going to the destiation for our next open house at 5:00 in Los Angeles.

Lunch, 20080725fr1243

2008-07-25T14:44:00.000-05:00

Vegetarian sandwich and salad at Jack's Bistro:
www.bagelnet.com

Jack's Bistro, 5050 Carpenteria, 20080725fr1227

2008-07-25T14:27:00.000-05:00

We're having lunch at Jack's Bistro:
www.bagelnet.com

Ocean Waves Breaking, 20080725fr1124

2008-07-25T13:25:00.000-05:00

The ocean waves are breaking on rocks along Carpinteria Beach south of the park entrance.

Ocean Run, 20080725fr1106

2008-07-25T13:13:00.000-05:00

The open house is officially over at 11:00 AM, but we are staying here by the beach for a little while longer. I'm going running along the beach for 36 minutes and Jay is still at the house. We'll probably be here in Carpenteria until 1:00 PM and then we'll continue down the
coast to Los Angeles.

Small House Enthusiasts, 20080725fr0925

2008-07-25T11:26:00.001-05:00

Jay is giving a tour.

Carpinteria State Beach at 400 Palm Avenue, 20080725fr0914

2008-07-25T11:15:00.000-05:00

We're now setup at Carpinteria State Beach. The entrance to the park
is at 400 Palm Avenue.

Going to Carpinteria State Beach, 20080725fr0841

2008-07-25T10:42:00.000-05:00

Jay is securing the house for travel.

Morning Light, 20080725fr0701

2008-07-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

We found an inexpensive hotel on State Street in Santa Barbara last night. This is the view from the window next to my bed. I normally would prefer sleeping in the loft of Jay's house, but the parking spot we found for the house is in a location with a lot of noise.

The hotel is $75 for a night in an area of town where the rates are typically $110 to $170 (at the low end). The hotel "room" looks like it may have been the room used by a live-in hotel manager a long time ago. There are two beds, plus a third fold-out bed. There is also a separate room with a kitchen that has full-size appliances.

Jay laughed at my choice of bed saying, "That feels like a piece of plywood." For some reason, there was a very firm box-spring on top of another very firm box-spring, with no mattress. I loved it. My bed at home is a thin futon on the floor. Sometimes when I'm not at home, I'll sleep on a floor rather than a soft mattress. I slept really well last night. Because of the climate in California right now, the windows in most buildings remain open. So, I had fresh air flowing in from the huge window next to my bed.

I'm going to take some time to do my morning stretches (Yoga/Pilates), breathing exercises, and meditation. I may try to go running, but I don't want to run on pavement, so it will depend on whether or not I can find a long soft surface trail around here somewhere.

La Arcada, open plaza in Santa Barbara, near 1116 State Street, 20080724th2212

2008-07-25T00:12:00.000-05:00

[2332] It's about 11:30 PM and I'm going to bed.

Dinner at the Sojourner Cafe, Mediterranean Torta, 20080724th2134

2008-07-24T23:34:00.002-05:00

The Mediterranean Torta is described on the menu as follows: A tower of eggplant, hummus, pesto, marinated onion, roasted bell pepper, and tabbouleh, served with pita points and tahini dressing. Find out more at SojournerCafe.com

Sojourner Cafe, 20080724th2108

2008-07-24T23:10:00.000-05:00

We walked down State Street and turned left on Cañon Perdido Street to
get to Sojourner Cafe:
www.SojournerCafe.com

Arlington Plaza, Santa Barbara, 20080724th2050

2008-07-24T22:51:00.000-05:00

We're on State Street in the Arlington Plaza area of Santa Barbara.

South on Highway 1, 20080724th1936

2008-07-24T21:37:00.000-05:00

We're driving down the coast of California. The ocean to our right
stretches to the horizon.