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October 09, 2006
Instant Karma
Yesterday I had to return my little Powerbook to it's maker. Apparently it's in need of some serious repair with it's PMU flaking out, the hard drive SMART tags saying it's death to the drive, and the external video connector momentairly flaking out enough to cause a black out on the external monitor. In the process of dropping off the PB, another couple next to me has their TiBook in for repairs and are complaining of it being slow to boot.
The Apple rep is pushing the purchase of new RAM in the form of one 512 or 2 256 sticks. Having had one of these machines in the past I know that little things make a huge difference with it, like matching the RAM provided a noticable speed change. More importantly though, as the couple was trying to figure out if they could afford upgrading it, I remembered I've got a 256 MB module at home. I offer it to them free of charge with a little convincing that I really don't need it. In exchange they're to do something nice for someone else.
Later that night at the Los Straitjackets concert, I was given two tickets free of charge by someone outside the venue. Apparently he bought a bunch of tickets and wasn't able to attend the show, and just gave me the tickets. Very cool. I enjoyed the show.
Posted by Dan at 04:18 PM | Comments (0)
October 04, 2006
Kayaking and Canada
I've been slow to put any postings here for awhile. I've had about three longer posts in the edit and question process. In the mean time, a bit of fun and excitement.
In August I took part in a week+ long sea kayak adventure trip off of Vancouver Island in Canada. Essentially we camped out under the darkest nights I've ever seen, paddled our way around the islands, and saw some amazing vistas. The water was slightly chilly, but overall it was quite nice. The nightly food was excellent, the trip guides did an amazing job on this end.
Oddly enough, no matter how much kayaking you do, it doesn't seem to prepare you for the impact a full loaded touring kayak will have on you. When it takes 8-10 people to lift a kayak (vs the normal 2), it suddenly sinks in. It also happened to be the first time I've ever felt really small in a kayak. Cruise ships passed by, dwarfing our little assembly of boats, while leaving behind a wake that would toss and turn many of us. I enjoyed steering right into these.
We saw a few killer whales from a distance, none up close. A lot of dolphins, seals, eagles, and deer as well. Most of which never got caught on camera due to their speed and short appearance times.
All in all, if you're looking for a pretty awesome vacation adventure trip, I do suggest checking one of these out. The outfit I traveled with Sea Kayak Adventures has done a pretty amazing job of figuring out where to go, what to see, how to pack, and what to eat. They even brought happy hour wine in a box for us!
Some photos from the trip are at the Johnstone Strait gallery. Enjoy...
Posted by Dan at 12:29 PM | Comments (0)
October 02, 2006
Congratulations to Chris and Lisa
They've been together for, well, a long time. Lisa has long since given up on the naked news stories (a big disappointment in my daily routine), but I forgive her on some days. Chris, true to form, is still keeping real with his razor sharp understanding of pop-culture.
Unfortunately I couldn't make it out, but I still hope to see you guys in November. Happy sailing!
Posted by Dan at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)