Interesting interview on NPR from the Maine Forest Rally….
This weekend, there was also a one hour show on the Ramada Express on HDNet and a one hour show on STPR on ESPN2.
The X-Games must be helping!
Oddly enough, now we’re wondering if Rally Tennessee can happen for us, as the service truck and trailer aren’t available that weekend. Do you think we can drive 10 hours up to TN for the event and then drive back?
Last night, we took the Subaru home for some cleaning and fixing. The exhaust flange was bolted back together, with a new gasket, and we used double nuts on the bolts to keep them from vibrating loose again. The numbers from Rally WV were removed after being liberally doused with Goo-Gone. We followed this up by vacuuming out about four pounds of gravel from West Virginia and then gave the car a bath.
On the way to work this morning, we were on vapors, so we stopped in at the gas station for a full tank of gas. That means, uhh….thats it’s ready for Rally TN, if we choose to go. Frankly, we’re thinking about getting the band back together and making this a reality.
Kim and I went out for a bike ride on Tuesday night, putting 17 miles under the wheels of our new bikes. I can’t say that the Navigator 300 is actually that much faster than the Giant Simple 7, but it was pretty easy to get the miles done. I had no chance, however, of keeping up with Kim on her road bike. Hmmm. Maybe I should get one myself. Not that I’ve got a competitive personality or anything.
Our Impreza was driven onto the trailer at the conclusion of Rally West Virginia, then driven off and parked behind our office for a month. It cranked a little slowly, but fired up and settled into its super-even idle. The only thing we noticed was that the exhaust was a little louder than normal, even for the free-flowing muffler. We peered under the Impreza and noticed that one of the bolts holding an exhaust flange had gone missing somewhere in the hundreds of miles of rallying that it has done. We’ll drive it home tonight, give it a fresh tank of gas and maybe even wash it after we replace that bolt. It should then be good to go, possibly to Rally Tennessee in a month!
Did we mention that Subarus are tough?
I know, it’s 1 a.m and I should be asleep. I have been working on the 2007 editorial calendar this week and just had an idea for a story. So I don’t forget it, I e-mailed myself. I don’t want to give it away, but it involves tires. Anyway, while writing the e-mail note to myself, I actually stopped mid-sentence because I realized that I didn’t capitalize “The” in The Tire Rack.
It’s been out for a while, but if you haven’t checked it out yet, do yourself a favor and buy or download Half-Life2: Episode One. The other day I realized I hadn’t gotten it yet, and then I started thinking about how great both Half Life and HL2 were, and I felt kinda stupid for not being more on the ball. It’s been waiting there to be lots of fun, and I was just ignorant of it. Valve continues to prove that they do not suck when it comes to this whole fantastic game design thing.
The plot and gameplay are of typically great Valve quality, but they’ve brought a few new elements to the table.
First, while they did a fine job with the friendly AI NPC characters in Half Life 2, in Episode One I simultaneously: 1) have a crush on Alyx; 2) want to protect her from various horrors; 3) trust her to protect me from the same horrors when our progress depends on my solving a puzzle while she shoots giant bugs, and; 4) have come to rely on her as a key element of gameplay, drawing my attention to things that I may have missed that are about to fall on us or blow us up. Also, she keeps making me laugh.
Second, HL2 looked pretty great, but the updated Source engine uses High Dynamic Range lighting, and it’s a pretty major step towards realism. While the graphics are similarly photorealistic in Episode One, now you have a virtual iris that adjusts to light and dark, and when there are high contrasts the light will bloom and fuzz objects, or glint off metallic items in near black environments with an intensity that just looks real. The iris adjustment time seems a little artifical now and again, but it’s simply jaw-dropping and must be seen.
Finally, go look at the trailer for the bonus game that’s coming out with HL2: Episode Two, called Portal. Freaking genius.
Here’s a cool video courtesy of Josh Wimpey (he’s got the super-fast Silver/Blue Golf on this clip) from Rally West Virginia. It’s about 13 minutes long and the GRM Impreza is on there twice.
Recently, Kim and I have started doing more than just the spinning (stationary bike) and Pilates classes at the YMCA to supplement our running, we’ve started biking on a regular basis. I got Kim a Trek 1000SL for her birthday last month and while I have been sort of able to keep with her on her Giant Simple7, twenty miles on a cruiser is a hard ride.
I purchased a new bike this weekend to poke around on and hopefully keep up with Kim a little better. When I tested the various mountain, road and hybrids, I felt pretty uncomfortable, so I tried something that was a little more upright. The Trek Navigator 300 is a one of their “Comfort” bikes. It’s pretty dorky looking, but the upright seating position is very comfy and cruiser-like. Oddly enough, it’s the exact same bike that my father-in-law recently got as well.
I’ve got the M Coupe this evening. After reading Scott’s blog, I’m wondering if I need to wash the car again.
That icky thought aside, it’s a simply stunning car. And since I personally like the color “Metallic Poop,” I wouldn’t mind it if it hung out in my driveway either. Waaaay prettier than the previous generation Coupe.
Per
It’s not boring to us: another top index in the MINI:
Brooksville PAX results
We’ve got another event coming up this weekend in DeLand. We’re ready!
Edit: Another top index in the MINI in DeLand…that’s now at least seven top PAXs for this year.
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