Once you post your resume on Monster or CareerBuilder it is on there forever. Head hunters must either download all resumes for safe keeping or scour the cached archives. I have not had an active resume on either place for quite a while, but I am now receiving calls for opportunities, this time in Madison. If that means that folks out there are hiring, then good for everyone. You'd think the Alaska phone number would tip them off though.

It appears that Halloween has come late for me. I've been burrowing into Bradbury tales at lunchtime, chipping away at the 900 page collection of short stories (I'm well into the second half). At home I've dug into some Poe stories I've needed to reread as well as started a fresh look into Lovecraft.

I have always enjoyed Lovecraft, though at times in my life I just wasn't in the mood to dig deeply into the mythos and plow into his often dense prose. (Oddly, I have never minded the denseness of Poe's sentences). The Rats in the Walls is just as great as ever and my Lovecraft interest is at a high these days. And I have started reading a few pages of The Colour Out of Space each night to Baby Turek. How that bodes for him, I have no clue.

I always attempt to enter the spring cycling season as strongly as possible, usually with mixed results. As much as I had more access to winter cycling in Madison due to their plowing of bike trails and ubiquitous salt usage (up here they only groom for skiing and rarely use salt anywhere), I often had to ramp up early in the season to break in my legs and lungs for longer rides. I believe the opportunity for intermittent winter cycling (I have never owned a snow bike) was just enough to keep me off the treadmill. Why run a 5k a few times a week if you'll be able to get on your bike a time or two?

When I moved up here I realized how much more difficult winter cycling is if you don't commit to a snow bike, so I quickly found myself jumping on the treadmill here and there during the winter. I decided to give a spring triathlon a try, which means swimming laps soon followed. As much as running and swimming definitely generates fitness, it doesn't necessarily feed into strong miles on a bike. The cardio strength is there, but the precise cycling muscles need to be rustled from the their slumber.

This winter I xc skied about 6 times per week (8-9 hours total) in hopes of staying in shape and embracing the winter, both of which happily worked. I had also read that the muscles involved were nearly identical to those used in cycling. Holy cow is that true. I've only been back on my bike for a week but I am amazed at how in cycling shape I am. It's a wonderful surprise. There is a very steep climb nearby (Stuckagain Heights), that I often use as a barometer of my strength on the bike. When will I be able to make it to the top without standing during the grinding climb? It usually takes a month or so, but this year it happened on day one (and I turned around and climbed it again immediately after the first attempt). I am very pleased and really looking forward to the triathlon in 7 weeks. The next challenge will be climbing Hiland Road in Eagle River. That is earmarked for this weekend, assuming the road is ice free.

It's also very exciting to come back from my ride at dusk and notice that the clock is just turning 10pm.

Aside from seeing more and more bikes cruising around town, I noticed a steel Colnago passing along one of the back roads near my place. I really enjoy that my dream bike is rolling around my immediate neighborhood somewhere. It just proves that in a small way the model is getting closer and closer to being in my home. That day will come.

It's still winter at higher elevations, but the snow is melting and the road is acceptable for road tires. Spring is coming.

Saturday and Sunday were the final, joyous XC Skiing outings. I hit Russian Jack on Saturday and the trails were mushy and ungroomed, but I completed my usual loop. Even though it was in the high 30's the hard packed trail has a long time to melt.

Sunday I opted for a drive out to Chugiak. Their trails are groomed more often than most and the hills are pretty fast, yet safe. It's a great blend. On Sunday the freeze/thaw cycle had generated a trail of crusted ice -- extremely fast and fairly unsafe. We still skied an hour as planned, but took the turns and twists with way more caution than we had the previous week.

By the time I returned to town on Sunday it was 40+ degrees with a clear, sunny sky overhead. I tore open the storage locker in the garage, filed away the skis, pulled the fishing gear to the fore, tuned up the bikes, swept out the garage, and then washed and cleaned both vehicles for the first time in months.

Which means that today's ongoing dump of snow is my fault.

Russian Jack

Above is the short but somewhat steep hill that has been the small learning experience for this, my first season on nordic skis. I've been zipping down it easily these past few months, though in November it was a bit intimidating. I love it now. Also, this picture was taken this evening at 8 pm. Spring is coming someday soon as shown by the longer days and my slightly improved skiing. Perhaps I'll be pedaling down this path in late April on pavement with a little luck.

I'm brainstorming on the wise things I need to do with my son while also trying to find a way to pursue my own hobbies and interests at the same time. If I don't spend a little bit of time on the things that spin the wheels in my head I won't be as interesting as I can be for the little guy. It's a balance, though it leans way towards him. Great.

The one constant in the literature I read is that the more you speak to your child the better. I think this primarily helps generate language skills as well as encourages general bonding. Sign me up. I'm sure I'll be reading plenty of children's books, but why not Ray Bradbury stories? There are plenty of stories I've been meaning to read so why not read them a little more slowly and out loud? There are no vulgarities in the stories.

It strikes me as no sillier an activity than the permutation of "googoo/gaga" aping parents indulge in. Sadly, Becky's kindergarten experience has shown me that many parents do not even have the inclination to consider reading to their children. So my impulse has me on the right side of the curve.

The question remains: If the lack of vulgarities is the primary qualification for a story being read, will Poe, Hemingway, and Lovecraft be far behind Bradbury?

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The NHL has the best commercials

I spent a lot of time in Gage Park while my aunt lived there and beyond. This is a sad story.

...

On a happier topic, it will be a boy come mid July! Let the name suggestions begin.

If you are somewhat famous and see me walking near you, treat the sound of those steps as your death rattle.

Last summer we were in Girwood at the Double Musky when Uncle Ted walked in. We chuckled and elbowed each other at our small brush with fame. Ted was dead within 2 weeks.

This past weekend we were in Homer for a relaxing weekend and as we cruised down the spit I craned my head in hopes of finding the Time Bandit in port. There it was. I'm not the huge Deadliest Catch fan that I was when the show was new (the plotline is pretty repetitive at this point), though I still enjoy it. We snapped some pictures. Even cooler was watching the boat randomly tool around outside of our room Sunday afternoon.


(more pictures here)

The weekend was terrific all around and we were sorry to leave on Monday. However, a Time Bandit deckhand passed away later that night. He had to have been on the boat while we observed its 10 minute cruise just off the Homer spit.

We did see Tom Skilling at the Double Musky a few years ago, but he seems to have escaped unscathed. Maybe only the Alaskans have the mark of doom?

The more I live in a townhouse, the more it annoys me. I understood this potential decline when I bought it, but at the time it fit my budget and needs. I suspect this is true of many people. However, as the years pass the fees and rules get more frustrating. The only cure is single family home ownership, which should happen in 4 years or so.

Waking up on Monday morning to no hot water sent me downstairs to realize that the first floor was 53 degrees. The electronic thermometer also told me that it was -3 outside. I threw on some pants and shuffled onto the deck to check the boiler/water heater closet. It couldn't be more silent in there, meaning that nothing was operating. This boiler feeds 2 total units and is accessible from outside the 2 units. I called the emergency condo line, flipped the switch on the gas fireplace, and embraced an ice cold whore bath. Becky and I washed up and put on a few extra swipes of deodorant.

The outdoor closet was very much off limits in terms of tenant monkey wrenching. The heating and plumbing guy would be there within an hour and would not need access to our unit to fix the problem. And since he doesn't want to fix any burst pipes, he would be there in a hurry. Finally, since it was outside the unit we would not pay a penny. +1 for condo ownership today.

I'm pleased with it and very happy that it is done. It was an excellent change of pace from painting little dwarfs, and also a sentimental journey (I hadn't built a model plane since middle school). The decals are a bit long in the tooth, but then again they are close to 20 years old. I have a few more kits from that era that have yet to be built. And they will be built.

It's hard to permanently escape the model cars and planes I built way back when that brought me to my current Warhammer hobby.

So many things these days are dangling and crying out for completion. It's not as if the world will shudder to an end in mid July, but rather things will happily take a sharp 90 degree turn after which it will then be much harder to find the time to wile away at solitary tasks.

I can't say that I am being much more productive than usual. It is probably more accurate to say that my focus is on being less schizophrenic in my interests.

Rather than dabble across several stacks of comic books and collections, I now pick a single title and finish the sucker within a day or so.

That stack of complete Jonah Hex comics from the 70's that I had been reading in slow tastes as to enjoy them like fine wine or kobe beef? I'm now devouring about 5 comics each night and immersing myself in the themes and settings. I've chosen a sack of White Castles over a bi monthly Kobe slider. How could that be wrong?

I've been mentally annoyed with finishing a model airplane and have consequently not painted a Warhammer model since Christmas. I asserted that the plane must be finished before anything else hits my painting table and I have stuck to that, albeit with sluggishness. The plane goes down this weekend.

I have thrown my hat over the wall regarding a June triathlon. It's a sprint distance and one I have completed before. Now I just need to do it faster. Between swimming laps, hitting the treadmill, and nordic skiing, I'm training away 6-7 days a week, showering twice a day, and producing as much dirty clothing as cycling season. This may explain why the model plane idles away, but that is a weak excuse.

Miles to go before I sleep...

It sounds like the snowbeast has put the hurt on the midwest quite forcefully. Judging by the facebook status updates and growing stack of posted pictures, Chicago and Madison have been slammed. We get plenty of snow and cold up here but without the population density and arterial road system of the midwest, it is much easier for us to muddle through. Also, it is expected and tolerated to a much greater degree. It's Alaska.

I do love the pictures of Lake Shore Drive and the orphaned cars. So cool.

As a child I remember the blizzard of 1979 vividly as a time when I was not allowed to build snow forts in the yard without direct adult supervision, which meant someone watching from my parents room. I guess a kid somewhere in Chicago found himself in some collapsed snow, and due to not being monitored closely enough ended up suffocating. So that's the doom of '79 in my mind.

Chicago always has a strange, distinct beauty when submerged in superfluous fresh snow.

...

I am a long time fan of The Office, though these days it is more mediocre than anything else. We're staying together for the kids, regardless of the random guffaws a given new episode will yield. Parks and Rec is complete genius in my mind though. Ron Swanson is the man.

The remainder of Thursday nights on NBC is a good impetus to head upstairs and iron or paint for an hour or so. The less said about Outsourced, the better. 30 Rock always feels very pretentious and cute about itself -- if you're not in on their little jokes, well then you are just not in. And Community is a bit too repetitive in theme.

However, this week's Community is all about Dungeons and Dragons so they've captured my time.

Point, NBC.

The Bears did what the Bears often do. They break your heart. I did like that the third string quarterback had a mustache. That was something.

...

Mid July will undeniably be a truly happy moment. Just wonderful.

I finally caught up with The Social Network this past weekend and enjoyed it a great deal. I don't have much to add about it that has not been stated better in many other places. It's not my favorite film of the year (I have not seen True Grit yet, so The King's Speech is currently my favorite), but I would not object to seeing it on anyone's list.

My mom saw it back in October when it was first released and aside from strongly recommending it to me, felt compelled to tell me just how much the main character reminded her of me. I asked why and she said it was due to the fact that I am a computer guy and that I (in her eyes) have a fast mind with creative ideas. I took it as a compliment.

After seeing the movie and knowing my mother is plenty sharp, I am starting to wonder how much of a compliment it was. Perhaps a backhanded one, kind of like telling a woman she dresses up pretty nice for a fat girl. It confuses me.

Like most people, I gravitate strongly to books, movies, and shows that relate to places I enjoy or have some sort of connection to. The smaller or more unique the place, the better.

I get my Chicago fixes via podcasts from Nick, Milt, and Jake (I wish Roe Conn offered more podcasts). Madison comes from Ultimate Outdoors.

I still have not found the perfect North Woods piece of entertainment, but the Starvation Lake novels come pretty close. They may be set in northern Michigan rather than my preferred Wisconsin, but the mysteries and settings are excellent. I just cannot get enough of these books lately.

Now I need the perfect Chicago novel (Stuart Dybek has the short story front covered) and some Boundary Waters fiction. I've been told I could simply just satisfy this need by writing them myself. I'm trying.

I love playing Rock Band with a group of people. It's just a blast.

I love it even more when an 11 year old is singing Slayer's Black Magic or Dio's Rainbow in the Dark.