Monday, May 26, 2008
Big Gulp
Ever take a swig from your 32 oz. Big Gulp and think to yourself, "The soda's great, but man is this cup heavy!" Well fear not my good friends because Sam's Club now offers a Styrofoam cup that weights approximately 60% less than a typical similar-sized paper cup.
Ain't life grand!
Ain't life grand!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Fun with numbers
As most who read this site already know, I work 20 hours per week in a Pain Management Clinic. My commute to work is 6 miles each way and I’m expected to be there 4 days per week. Roughly once per week I’ll drive to the Pain Clinic due to inclement weather. On the 5th day of each week I bike 1.5 miles each way to the university library where I park my bike. On the weekends I typically bike to and from school twice: once to play basketball on Saturdays & once to finish schoolwork on Sundays. If my math is correct, this adds up to 45 miles of biking per week. With 52 weeks in the year (I’m ignoring holidays because I usually work then anyway), that comes out to 2340 miles of biking per year. Of course, that excludes any biking Michelle and I might do for enjoyment, but that’s OK for what I’m about to do.
At $3.00 per gallon (an average for the price of gasoline during the past 12 months that I’ve somewhat arbitrarily pulled from my ass), let’s figure out how much cash we’ve saved during the past year. According to this fuel economy website, our 1995 Honda Accord gets 21 miles per gallon while driving about the city.
Numbers crunching…head hurting.
And here we have it, Michelle and I saved a grand total of $334.29 on gasoline during the last year. What? That’s terrible.
Good thing saving money isn’t the only reason we bike!
At $3.00 per gallon (an average for the price of gasoline during the past 12 months that I’ve somewhat arbitrarily pulled from my ass), let’s figure out how much cash we’ve saved during the past year. According to this fuel economy website, our 1995 Honda Accord gets 21 miles per gallon while driving about the city.
Numbers crunching…head hurting.
And here we have it, Michelle and I saved a grand total of $334.29 on gasoline during the last year. What? That’s terrible.
Good thing saving money isn’t the only reason we bike!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Let's catch up.
Three weeks ago Michelle and I ventured north for the Country Music half-marathon in Nashville, TN. This was the first time we had visited Nashville and we were joined by two of our closest friends here in Hattiesburg. Here are a few highlights from the weekend.
On a hilly course, and with little training, I finished my first half-marathon (1:31) and Michelle kicked some serious ass in her second half-marathon (1:46). Having not put that much in, I didn't expecting much in return and, truthfully, was pretty happy to have averaged less than 7 minutes per mile. It's a far cry from what used to be, but I enjoyed myself just the same.
The race featured 20,000+ runners and stands as one of the largest half-marathons in the country. With that many runners, the lines for the port-a-potties were absurdly long and, like many other runners, Michelle needed to use the bathroom just 20 minutes before the start. Being the dutiful husband that I am, I decided to wait nearby so we could check our gear together. Fifteen minutes later, it became obvious that we would miss the start if she continued waiting in line. Spotting several bushes close by, she raced over and squatted down. There were other runners peeing there as well, but one woman stood out from the others. This woman had arrived at the bushes with several friends, but instead of peeing at the outer edge where everyone else what located, she decided to work her way deep inside the thicket. Moments later it became painfully obvious what she was doing when, as Michelle described it, "the most horrific stench" wafted its way to the other runners. Meanwhile, what began as good-natured ribbing gradually turned into abject horror when this young woman's friends caught wind of the nauseating stench. One friend even vomited as she exited the bushes. Pretty funny stuff really.
On a hilly course, and with little training, I finished my first half-marathon (1:31) and Michelle kicked some serious ass in her second half-marathon (1:46). Having not put that much in, I didn't expecting much in return and, truthfully, was pretty happy to have averaged less than 7 minutes per mile. It's a far cry from what used to be, but I enjoyed myself just the same.
The race featured 20,000+ runners and stands as one of the largest half-marathons in the country. With that many runners, the lines for the port-a-potties were absurdly long and, like many other runners, Michelle needed to use the bathroom just 20 minutes before the start. Being the dutiful husband that I am, I decided to wait nearby so we could check our gear together. Fifteen minutes later, it became obvious that we would miss the start if she continued waiting in line. Spotting several bushes close by, she raced over and squatted down. There were other runners peeing there as well, but one woman stood out from the others. This woman had arrived at the bushes with several friends, but instead of peeing at the outer edge where everyone else what located, she decided to work her way deep inside the thicket. Moments later it became painfully obvious what she was doing when, as Michelle described it, "the most horrific stench" wafted its way to the other runners. Meanwhile, what began as good-natured ribbing gradually turned into abject horror when this young woman's friends caught wind of the nauseating stench. One friend even vomited as she exited the bushes. Pretty funny stuff really.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment
Several weeks ago a friend turned me on to the Dancing Rabbit ecovillage in northeastern Missouri. The name leaves something to be desired, but its mission and the execution of that mission is rather inspiring. In my opinion, the most interesting part is its emphasis on natural building. According to their website, "Natural Building includes a variety of building techniques that focus on creating sustainable buildings which minimize their negative ecological impact." Read up and tell me what you think. Also, some of the community's more tech-savvy members have posted videos that I recommend checking out if you have the time. Searching for general terms such as, "Dancing Rabbit" on youtube should do the trick. The Eco-Cribs tour of Larkspur was a personal favorite of mine.
