heads of lettuce

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ever since i was a little kid i’ve been fascinated with manatees.  my mom and i used to go to the
aquarium in SF and i’d make a dash to that large corner tank in the back that had one lone manatee swimming around.  occasionally it would be feeding time and some really lucky employee got to get in the tank and feed the manatee a head of lettuce.  i used to think that was the coolest thing ever, feeding a head of lettuce to a manatee. i was five.

my love for the manatee stayed with me throughout my life and whenever i went to a aquarium or sea life park i’d always look for one.  not a popular attraction the manatee.  it’s not like they do anything except roll over and wave their little flipper at you.

someone once gave me a gift of a manatee adoption through the Save the Manatee Club.  i am the adoptive parent of a manatee named Brutus and he lives in Florida at Blue Spring State Park.  i thought that was an awesome gift and i in turn adopted a couple of manatees for friends of mine as a wedding gift.  yes, they were fond of manatees as well, it wasn’t just some random gift.

last week i went to visit Florida for the first time and the #1 item on my sightseeing list, see a manatee.  although it would be great to swim with one, i decided i would be happy just to see one in the wild.   my goal was met during a kayak trip to Manatee Cove on Merritt Island.

there were five of us on the trip and there were about a dozen manatees in this little cove, just hanging out.  from a distance they look like rocks in the water, until they move.  they were super curious and playful and wanted to get close to the kayaks.  although they are big, they aren’t scary at all, and really you just want to reach out and scratch their bellies which they constantly put on display for you.

manatees, still one of my all time favorite creatures, and i’m so happy that i was able to see so many of them.  maybe one day i will get to Blue Spring Park and meet Brutus in person.

Colorado before Florida

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i hadn’t planned to travel until my Florida/NY in October, but then i was given the chance to visit Team Colorado and couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

one of my friends was working in the Vail area so i flew into the Vail/Eagle airport for a change of pace.  since it wasn’t ski season the airport wasn’t crowded at all.  it was really kind of eerie.  i walked inside and everything was closed, i mean everything….the cafe, the news stand the airline counter and it was only 2 PM.  there were three security officers by the entrance and that was it.  rumor has it the place is packed in the winter, which makes sense, but still i felt a little bit like there had been an evacuation and i was going to be guided to safety.

my friend picked me up and we cruised around the little town to see what there was to see.  the highlights included the most amazing drug store, the Eagle Pharmacy (aka the Nearly Everything Store) and $2 beer at a local saloon.

after $2 beers and nachos (the perfect snack) we made our way to Summit County, home of Team Colorado.  once there it was a whirlwind of activity including dinner at the Dillon Dam Brewery (one of my favs), a NFL Sunday BBQ, and volunteering at the Breckenridge Oktoberfest.

a  spontaneous weekend away doesn’t get much better than that.

image courtesy of gobreck.com

blog neglect

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my poor blog.  it really is neglected so often, and it’s not until i’m printing out an itinerary do i realize that i haven’t written anything in a long time.  a very, very, long time.

although i haven’t traveled much in the last few months, i have been a couple of places, one being my home away from home, Seattle.

i was there over Labor Day weekend for a work event, but i managed to get out a bit with friends, and as usual good times were had.

it had been quite awhile since i had been to the Pink Door, so i thought i’d go for dinner with a work colleague and as usual it didn’t disappoint. we enjoyed a rain-free evening on the outside deck and the meal was wonderful, from the cocktails to dessert, everything was scrumptious. and the service, awesome. i really do appreciate good customer service, it makes all the difference.  i also had the opportunity to eat at Matt’s in the Market and Dahlia, both were good, but not as good as the Pink Door.

normally i’d be going back to Seattle for Thanksgiving, but not this year.  i’m going to be out of the country the week before for work and i didn’t want to have two back to back trips, even if one would be for fun.

next on the horizon, visiting some friends in Melbourne, FL and then to NY.  stay tuned for more on that trip.

salt flats day 4

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yes, yesterday started like the previous three days, but the difference being i knew i’d have to leave the races and head home.

my theory is that by Tuesday we will have broken something.  either the car or the record, and if it hasn’t happened by then it won’t.  my theory has held correct thus far, sad but true.

so yesterday i spent most of the day in the pits and they finally made it out to the line as i was heading back to the main road to get my car and make my way to Salt Lake City.  of course the run they made as i was cruising down hwy 80 was the best so far, 213 mph.  but with the good comes the bad, we went off the course the wrong way and got another yellow sticker.  we are now up to three.

the inspector came by and signed off (again) and we were good to go. 

now i’m sitting at work listening to the live stream from the salt.  it’s just like being there, except i’m in a cube, surrounded by people who don’t know what Bonneville is, and i don’t need a second coat of sunscreen at 10 AM.  i wish i could have stayed an extra day, but at least this year i can listen in.

the text comes in saying we’re two back in line.  i put my headphones on and wait.  and wait. and wait.  there isn’t anyone in line so the team was taking it’s time getting ready, warming the oil and such.  it’s all good, i’m just working and listening.  and then i hear, “next up car 554”.  i heard it through the walkie-talkie behind the radio announcers, and my heart started racing.  ok, you guys, lets make this happen.

what happened was a slow acceleration, nothing close to 213, and then…………….a spin.  is there a record for the most spins?

the driver is a-ok (which is the most important thing) and the car… well, from the report i received via text, something broke and we have to take the car through tech inspection again.

hopefully there will be another run this afternoon, and if there is, i will be listening.

salt flats day 3

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can you guess how my day started?  yes, you guessed it, up and out by 7 AM, set-up the pits, watched record runs, and got the car ready for the first run.  how did you know?  lather, rinse, repeat.

run one – we made it as far as the 3rd mile and then turned out. we were gaining speed, but not enough to get us to the record. the determination was more weight was needed in the car.  i suggested the driver have an extra burger at lunch…..i thought it was funny. so, more weight added, and out for round two.

run two – we were on course two, which is to the right of course one, and seemingly in good shape.  we started strong and made it to 199 mph right before…..we spun out.  sigh.  the spin out is a common occurrence this year; today it happened to at least four other cars we know of…..

the inspector made it by around 5 PM and gave us a clean bill of health so we can run tomorrow. we borrowed some weights from another team (they broke a piston and are headed home) and we’re going to add them to the car. unfortunately that means taking things apart, and that could be time consuming. meaning, i may not see them run before i have to head out to catch my flight.

frustrating.  it’s all very frustrating.  the races go until Thursday, so there is still plenty of time for the team to break the record, i just wish i could be here to see it.

oh, that new thing i thought we were getting in the pit, it didn’t happen.  all i’m going to say is next year it will happen for sure, and it’s going to be great.

more tomorrow.

salt flats day 2

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it’s amazing how much spending time at the salt is like the movie Groundhog Day; but without Bill Murray, so not as funny.  again, up early and out to the salt to set up, watch some record runs, and get the car ready for the first run of the day.

the first run didn’t go as well as hoped but a tiny bit better than yesterday. once we got the car back to the pit the team realized a part had been installed backwards, hence the reason for the slow going.  they correct the error, pack it up, go to the fuel station, and get back in line to make a second run.

we started the second run with high hopes and it looked like things were going to be in our favor until the car was just out of sight and we heard the radio announcer say, “and there is a spin-out on course one”.  not the words you ever want to hear while racing…….the other words you don’t want to hear, “looks like he took out the timing tower, we’re going to have to hold the course”. whoops.

driver and car are fine, although we did break a little joint on the steering linkage. thankfully a crew nearby welded it for us and we’re in good shape for day 3.  we also now have the 2 mile flag we hit as a souvenir for the garage.

tomorrow is another day.

salt flats day 1

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excellent salt and blue skies do not a record make. like so many other mornings, we headed out to the salt at 7 AM with high hopes and visions of taking the car to impound after a stellar first run.  sadly that wasn’t the case today.

we turned out at the first mile.  the good news, the car sounds good, we didn’t break anything, and we’re ready to give it another go tomorrow.

the usual crew is back in action this year, although we’re minus a couple of folks that have been with us the last couple of years. our pit area is bigger than before and there are new tents this year which provide better ventilation.  when it’s over 100, ventilation is key.  the solar oven is back for a repeat performance, and the first treat was a batch of tasty gooey brownies.  there is also a pot of stew in the works that will be done by lunchtime tomorrow.

we are getting a special treat at the pit tomorrow. no, i’m not going to tell you what it is, you’ll just have to wait and see.

the salt report

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yes, it’s that time again.  the time where land speed record holders, and record hopefuls pack up their garage, hitch up the race car, and head to Wendover, Utah for Bonneville National Speed Week.

they opened the salt today at 7 AM for registration, inspection, and fuel purchase. Team 554 is heading out this morning from various locations within California and Nevada and all will meet up later today on Hwy 80 or on the salt.

i’m flying out tomorrow, due to hit the beautiful Wendover Motel 6 in time for an afternoon swim and cocktails.  timing is everything.

according to the official race website, the salt is in good shape, drying out nicely.  we won’t know for sure until we take that first ride down the track Saturday morning after the drivers meeting.

is this the year?  will Team 554 set a new record?  fingers crossed.

photo courtesy of scta-bni.org

where exactly is Estonia?

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probably not a question you have ever asked yourself, because really, why would you.  well, when you’re in Finland for the weekend and you think it would be fun to go to Russia for a day, but you can’t because you didn’t think to get a visa in advance, you pick somewhere else you can go without a visa.  hello Estonia!

the Republic of Estonia is a mere 1 hour 40 minute ferry ride across the Baltic Sea from Finland, and it made the perfect day trip destination.

we boarded the Linda Line Ferry at 10 AM and spent the day wandering through Tallinn, which is the oldest city in Estonia and the capital.

in the Middle Ages the Old Town was always under the threat of attack so they built a fortress with high thick walls, guard towers, and gates.  today 1.18 miles of wall and half of the towers still remain.

we went to the top of the St. Olav’s Church, which is the tallest building in Tallin and took in the stunning rooftop views.

we happened to overhear a tour guide speaking English and followed his trio up the cobblestone streets to Toompea Hill and learned quite a bit about the history of the area.  too bad we couldn’t stay with them the whole day, he was a really great guide.

the town is full of churches, museums, spiral staircases, ironwork, and lots of cool spires.  this is the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is undergoing a little renovation, hence the green netting.

surrounding the main plaza were a ton of restaurants to choose from, so we opted for a little late afternoon Indian lunch, and then made our way back thru the Viru Gates and flower market to the ferry for our return trip home.

thank you Tallinn for a lovely sightseeing excursion!

a day in Helsinki

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i had forgotten how much fun it is to travel with someone.  the majority of trips i take are solo, so it was pretty nice wandering through the streets of Helsinki and having someone to talk to along the way.

we started off the day by walking through the Botanical Garden on our way down to the waterfront area.  a big cruise ship had come in during the night so the weekend market was in full swing.  homemade trinkets, artwork, flowers, fruit, vegetables, and souvenirs were a plenty.

we stopped off and took a look at the Helsinki Cathedral and then hopped a ferry to see the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress.  not only is this a historic sight, but it’s also a weekend picnic and relaxation destination for the locals.  the grassy knolls, small beaches and giant rocks were starting to fill up as we left in the early afternoon.

we then walked through downtown and had lunch at a funny little chain restaurant called Wrong Asian Kitchen.  not bad for a quick meal.

after noodles we slowly made our way back to the hotel to take a break in the day.  the hotel has a nice patio, so we took advantage of the good weather and hung out there until someone (me), had to take a nap before venturing back out into the city for another wander and dinner.

over pizza and beer at Vespa we made a plan for sightseeing tomorrow.  until then………..