Winter Sports

I went snowboarding for the third time today. Until this winter I had never been skiing or snowboarding. The other winter I did some snowshoeing in Colorado, which I enjoyed quite a bit. The only place to snowboard around St. Louis is at Hidden Valley, which is only about thirty minutes away.

The first time I took a lesson with Landon and Levi Weuthrich after Christmas. I had a bad fall on my back near the end of the session; I was sore for about two weeks. I am spending a lot less time falling over, and starting to try some of the the blue trails. I am glad to have something to do in the winter other then ice skating. Now that it has been a few hours, I am really starting to feel the muscles that are not as in shape.

Profile Pics

I am back safe in STL, and the jetlag is wearing off.

I found this analysis of profile pictures interesting, and reviewed mine with an eye toward the data. Before some of the data depresses you, check out the graph titled "Chance a Meeting Leads To An Actual Conversation." It is reassuring that doing interesting things will lead to a more in depth discussion. Also, news flash, people really are not interested in pictures of you drinking.

LAX: 5 A.M.

It is just way too early, or too late to be at LAX.  We had a fast flight because of a tail wind.  LA is just soaking because it is the two weeks of torrential rain that falls here every year.  I will be glad to sleep in my own bed tonight, whenever that may be.

I was at : 599 World Way, Los Angeles, CA 90045,

Oahu

We are on Oahu for 12 hours.  The drive up to the Polynesian Cultural Center is breathtaking.  We had a very pleasant day learning about the Pacific islands.  I am not looking forward to the long flight home.

I was at : 55 Hawaii 83, Laie, HI 96762,

Zipline

Dad and I went a zipline tour yesterday with Skyline Eco-Adventures up on the slopes of Haleakala among the eucalyptus trees. It was a new experience, that I was glad to try. I would enjoy going again, but do not plan on going out of my way to go again. We did 5 lines, and a suspension bridge over this large gulch. The last line was the big one with a drop of about 100 feet and we got going over 40 mph.

Midweek

We went snorkling at Kapalua Bay up north this morning.  No drama, just lots of fish.  It looks like I won't go windsurfing this trip.  That is a disappointment, but I needed to plan better.  I am not in shape to go, and am not sure I would have a great time.  A van to transport the gear is also a must.  If I want to maintain the sport I need to get a roof rack for my car.  A smaller board would not hurt either.

I was at : Honoapiilani Hwy, Wailuku, HI 96793,

Whale Watching

We took a tour this morning with the Pacific Whale Foundation to see some humpback whales. I have enjoyed trips like this in the past, but it is usually just seeing them spout. Today though we got a good view of some courting behavior with a group of about 12 whales. It was amazing to see many head lunges out of the water, and quite a few good fluke dives. The group were visible from far away. As we got close they kept changing directions and circled around the boat. I was able to get a few videos using my phone, but it is hard to get really good shots. I needed some more camera savvy members of the family along with a good SLR.





I was able to upload the videos directly from the Droid, but it would only let me do it when I was connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Penguins at the Haytt

The Maui Haytt has a group of penguins in the lobby.  The lobby is open with a sweeping view of the ocean.

From Drop Box

I was at : 1221 Honoapiilani Hwy, Lahaina, HI 96761,

Room With A View

Here is the view from our room at the Westin Villas on Maui.

Whale Song

The whales are at Hawaii in full force. When snorkling a quick dive reveals the whine and moo of the humpbacks. I love to just swim and listen to the ocean, whales, and my own breathing. There is such a peace when in the water.

That peace came to an abrupt end when I reached the beach. Mom was there, and Dad was nowhere in sight. I ran up and down the beach, and we eventually brought in hotel security. After half an hour, Dad swims back in and starts walking up the beach. We thank the paramedics as they interview us. He had taken a long swim south without talking to us. I am sure Mom will tell the story on Loren's Saga which is linked to on the right.

The City of Angels

If you fly into LA from the north, you pass Malibu then Santa Monica then land. Flying in from the east allows you to see just how vast this city is. The houses stretch for mile after mile, only stopped by the mountains.

I love flying over the west. The canyons, plains, mountains, and dirt roads. I don't have a desire to live in the middle of nowhere, but it is beautiful. Now I am in LAX. Nothing to see but the infinate blue from here to OGG (Maui).

Adam Savage on Failure

For a TV has some engaging videos. I enjoy the Mythbusters (it was also neat seeing the locations when I was in the Bay area. The link below is Adam Savage talking about some of the failures he has had, and what we can learn from such events. It is a little long. I am posting this from my Droid, which is very useful.

http://fora.tv/2009/05/30/MythBuster_Adam_Savages_Colossal_Failures

Planting Evidence

The best part of this story is what happened to the poor guy that had the plastic explosives planted in his luggage. The TSA would have been even more reactionary then the Irish.