A struggle to reach 100 today…

Wow, according to my weather station data that I stream to PersonalWeatherStation it is 99 degrees at 3:27 PM.  It has been 100 much earlier in the day and lasting for hours now for a large number of days.

Sitting here listening to “Sick Puppies” –Riptide currently emitting froth through the Energy system.  And now, You’re Going Down.

So the open source weather data logging software I use had a major beta released lately. I spent the night getting everything reconfigured.  I even am now streaming data to the linked site above in addition to weather underground. I am tired of the unreliability of weather underground, especially the weather sticker and rapid fire service.  I also slightly designed my main site. I did it in tow stages; so far I have only uploaded stage 1 to my ISP and station template. Maybe tonight or tomorrow I will load stage 2.  When the bottom cells are gray in color and a certified skywarn observer badge is displayed, then that is the key to knowing I’ve completed the most current updates.

I may go mountain biking on the trail at Dana Peak if it doesn’t get freakishly hot later. The new one-niner trail extends my normal lap there from 6 and a quarter miles to 8 and a half.

I am writing this using Live Writer. I bet I haven’t updated blogger in a year again.

Ah well….

Of Fried Pickles and Such

I suppose I’ve been to enough places to rank h0w fried pickles stack up. I went to the Razzoo’s Cajun eatery near the Round Rock REI today and before purchasing the ultra-kewl Osprey Mantra 20 hydration pack stopped in Razzoo’s for the first time.  It has decent fried pickles but it is number one for shrimp po’ boys.  Friendly wait staff as well.

Oh yeah, the pickle rankings:

1.  The steak house in Elgin, TX.  Circle something or another—only had once. Hopefully still the same.

2.  Jody’s,  Temple, TX

3.  Fish City Grill, Harker Heights, TX

4. Razzoo’s, Round Rock, TX

5. Texas Land and Cattle, Killeen, TX

6. Pluckers Wings and Things, Killeen, TX

Using Live Writer

Well I have not posted to this blog in months again.

Several reasons I suppose.  The primary being though the convenience to share photos and quick musings on FB.

Maybe Live Writer which I am trying today to send this posting to Blogger will rejuvenate my enthusiasm for a BLOG.  I will see.

Yesterday I went on a mountain Bike ride on LGT. Lake Georgetown.  The loop is 26 miles around and yesterday was the inaugural day for all 26 miles being open to bikes.  I am too fat and out of shape to do it all.  I completed the 11 mile Cedar Hollows to Camp Tejas segment which contains the most rough trail surface overall.

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Much fun but muy dificil.  I cramped like a NFL Linebacker in agony afterwords. LOL.  I wonder what drivers along HWY 195 near Florence thought. ahhaha.

Till next time….

Chess Titans, Rain and Boredom..

Whaaa..This weekend almost feels never-ending; it poured Friday, Saturday and well up into the night. No mountain biking this weekend.

I don't think I've played Chess in five or ten years. I discovered that Windows 7 has a game called Chess Titans built in. I put it up a notch or 3 from raw beginner and spent maybe 30 minutes defeating the program. Does one really play at Chess? Maybe toil. A nice mental workout for sure. I'm sure a notch or two higher and I would have suffered a mental melt-down.

Visited the new Academy here in Killeen. Thought I'd pick up a Redbirds baseball cap inexpensively. Heck--nothing but Texas college and NFL Teams. Even the PX has a hat--and probably more cheaply than the ballyard.

But the Cards have lost 3 games to the Braves. The last two in a pathetic manner. I hope I didn't waste my money buying tickets to the Houston/St Louis game in H'town in 10 days...

Finally I would just like all my situations to be different. Things generally suck. I know it could be worse though. I wished it were better. A lesson out there to all.....hang on to some money; without money it is seemingly implausible to change a dull reality into a better landscape. Don't be trapped into thinking high salary is the cure-all; it just causes more outlay. Curbing excess is the key. Oh, will I ever reach Sunbeam..I WILL..it will be a miracle instead of a change I could make if I had the means...

whudddup...

Too long again but we'll give this a whirl.

Work just sucks the life energy out of one. But that's not to say I don't spend quality time with the computer; it's just I haven't made time to blog.

I've installed the RTM of Windows 7 and I must say it's a great OS. I have been letting the OS set my monitor rez to its native format and that's taken some getting used to. My really bad eyes causes me to contol + a lot of stuff in Firefox.

Front Page 2003--I slightly changed the look of my main page at www.petekutheis.com It is cleaner now and it didn't take me long to figure out how to make use of a table to get my text to flow properly on different resolutions. It should appear much better now for the rare times a person might actually visit. But that's just the entry page; I haven't done nothing with the content pages, nor will I probably. Maybe if I ever add a new page...

So here in Central Texas after a scorching hot summer, we've had a couple of days of steady rain now. I like the slightly cooler temps but it looks like biking will be out for a week or so.

I just have a really hard time breaking away from the computer--I COULD actually use that exercise room and stationary trainer I have set up downstairs.

I'm thinking of going dual monitor and adding a blu ray reading drive. There now will be no reason other than work and the occasional bike ride for me to ever leave the "man cave". LOL.

How about those redbirds. Struggling at 5 to 8 games above 500 all year until after the all star break; now it's rare they lose a game. Bring on the Yankees. I haven't seen a WS matchup between the 2 teams that have appeared in more fall classics than any other team in my almost 47 year span of existence.

Speaking of which I have tickets to the Cards/Astros game at Minutemaid coming up soon. I hope my team crushes them juice heads into pulp. I'll devour and spew them 'stros into the GAR-Bodge. Lulz.

It's almost 9 AM on a rainy Staurday morning. I am hungry...

When will soon finally arrive?

So the question is: When does soon arrive?

I ponder this as recent events make me pine for soon all the more. Technology is a wonderous thing; it brings peoples closer. .... But yet we can be sooo far.

Patience is the operative word. And someday (s00n) dreams will come.

Until then I've been mountain biking more. At least once, if not twice a week. Finally I have over a thousand miles on the Stumpjumper.

And of course I still toil away managing a large government food service contract under the Ability One Program. I don't think it can really be called toiling; but it is thought and action (decision-making) intensive---with never a dull, quiet moment, and ever changing government missions.

Current reading is the Stephen Coonts novel, "Assassin". Next up, "The Last Pope". And after that, my son Michael has convinced me to read the Star Wars novel that is set between The Phantom Menace and A New Hope.

Other musings---I am still fat; I have not gotten serious about losing weight in the entire time I've been back from Hawaii. Groan. Not that around 210 and 5 feet 10 is gynormous or anything--but the belly is BIG.

I hardly ever watch TV but didn't make bike plans ds weekend due the hurricane (which dudded out here in Central Texas--wow-we ended up with a whole .05 inch of rain), so I was rested and had time to flip through the channels tonight. I stopped on the local PBS station in HiDef. I thought I heard of this band before--maybe dirtragmag featured them. Arcade Fire (Austin City Limits Live)----refreshing to say the least: I was mightily impressed. Rushed right over on the surf to gomusic.ru and downloaded both albums.

There is a new Subaru Dealer right down the street on Stan Scheutter. The 09 Outbacks are in stock, and exciting news: they have premium Harmon/Kardon speaker systems and Amps in 'em, with an MP3 convenience jack.

But really I'm just a poor broke guy coz I never saved.

And therein lies why soon doesn't arrive quickly..

..I pray I win the lottery or have another blessing.

For now I just am. Going through the motions as best I can.

My permasmile is still some time off.

But someday soon WILL arrive.

Random Thoughts

Life is good. Well OK. I think we all want for more or different--don't we?

Anyway I have 3 and a half days off work this memorial day holiday. Already I've gotten in a mtb ride, edited a video, watched 2 movies and of course ate way too damn much!

The Golden Compass I thought was pretty much of a mess. And a creepy story. Did the director even tell us why the kids are getting stolen? The new Indiana Jones on the other hand was fresh. As good as the 1st 3 Indy movies?--probably not--probably not even as good as the Mummy movies, instead more on the order of Sahara (a Clive Cussler novel adaptation). In other words a lot of good, hokey fun (in this instance alien and Karen Allen fun). I viewed it at the new Market Heights Cinema. I thought the auditoriums, sound and picture average. The semi-self/serve concession area is cool and I loved the fact they had Nathan's hot dogs.

The ride was at BLORA yesterday with screen names Joraff, armyrider,perlinger,and another guy whose name escapes me. Anyway it has been hot and humid lately. This tuned out to be the better of my last 3 rides, none of which has been outstanding. But al least through the 1st half or so I rode fairly strong.

The video I made was culled from footage of our ride out at Rocky Hill Ranch last Sunday. It can be found at http://www.zshare.net/video/124925312111b883/ I really love the new computer I built; I am still discovering minor tweaks, but everything works above expectations.

The new Whitesnake album rocks. I've been listening to it again as I type this. SummerRain is playing now and so far it's the weakest of the bunch. As always remember to pick up tunes for less on the Internet MP3 places that choose to provide value.

The Mi Casa Su Casa restaurant along the US190 frontage Rd in Harker Heights has a good buffet on Sunday mornings from 10 to 2. Armyrider told me about it and I'll say he was right. And the price is right too. They even had some brisket and bbq sauce!

Can you see I'm bored? I'd rather be in Austin riding; I thought I'd go to Austin and ride the 'nut tomorrow and then eat 'q at this place called Ruby;s that I've never been too--but the wife's having company from noon til 3 and I dont wanna go alone. Oh well, in all it's been a swell weekend. Maybe I'll read a book or something.....