Monday, February 20, 2006

Light Dusting

The light snow of the overnight hours has just about stopped, leaving a light, powdery dusting on the grass. Nice to see, but not enough to turn Norfolk into a winter wonderland. Road are clear, so I'll be off to the gym once the post-alcohol grogginess clears my system.

A friend and I went over to my sister and her fiance's house last night for dinner. We've been talking about resuming "Sunday Night Dinners" for a while now and this was the first one. A lot of fun, though it turned out to be a very late night. I can't recall exactly when we got home other than sometime after midnight. My sis and her fiance have certainly perfected the art of entertaining. The food was excellent and the various courses spaced perfectly and our wine glasses never ran dry. As I'll be hosting the next gathering, I'm going to have to put in a little more effort to at least match what they pulled off last night. I'm thinking either next weekend or the one following, so I have time to plan.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Finally...

………the Jeep is as it should be.

After an eternity of indecision, I made the move today on the long-overdue tire thing. Yesterday was the final day of mulling over the issue and getting quotes, including the full package of lift kit, new wheels and tires. I decided that latter was simply overkill and opted to simply go with larger tires that fit on the current wheels. I selected a different style of tire as well. I went from the small car/street tires that came stock on the Jeep to larger off-road tires, specifically Goodyear Wrangler MT/Rs. Size 31x10.5. And due to the size difference between the temporary spare and the new set, I went ahead and bought a fifth tire for a full-size spare. The funny thing is it barely fit onto the spare carrier. An eighth of an inch larger and it would have ridden home in the back seat.

What a difference in vehicle appearance tires can make. The only drawback with the off-road tires thus far is the noise. A nice roar when I’m at 30 mph or greater. Haven’t taken it on the highway yet and I’m rather curious as to just how much noise there’s going to be. I feel a road trip coming on. Or is it off-road trip?

And don’t’ worry, Kim. Pics are coming.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Random Points

1. According to the National Weather Service, we may very well finally get some snow tonight and/or tomorrow. As exciting as this thought is, I’ll believe it when I see it.

2. Saw the movie “Mrs. Henderson Presents” last night at the neighborhood theater. Absolutely wonderful movie: witty and touching and so well acted. Judy Dench’s portrayal of Mrs. Henderson alone is worth the price of admission. Gotta love that dry British humor. Or in this case, is it humour?

3. Have pager duty this weekend, which eliminates such wonderful activities as drinking and impromptu road trips (though not both at the same time). Was paged last night, but had everything wrapped up in time to catch the late movie showing.

4. Note to self: never go to the gym and expect a full, satisfying workout on an empty stomach. Did this yesterday and nearly passed out on the treadmill. No breakfast, no lunch, and then a trip to the gym around two in the afternoon. Not a good thing.

5. Started a new book this week: 1421: The Year China Discovered America by Gavin Menzies. Haven’t gotten far into it yet and overall the idea seems a bit of a stretch, but I’ll withhold judgment until I see just how solid/plausible the evidence is. A good read nonetheless.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Tuesday Evening

As I was fed up with work, I took off early today to go to the gym. Few better ways to rid oneself of frustrations than an hour on the treadmill. Perhaps dueling would provide a greater, more satisfying effect, but since such affairs of honor are no longer fashionable, the gym will have to do. I’m actually rather surprised that I’m getting into the gym thing as it’s never been high on my list of favorite activities. I suspect that the atmosphere as something to do with motivation. Gold’s Gym has a bright, energized atmosphere; my last gym did not. I actually look forward to going now. Perhaps this is a good sign.