Ran my first 10k today, the Star Wars 10k at Disneyland in Anaheim California. Just me and 9,999 of my closest friends, lined up for a 5:30am start. What an absolute blast!

A Day at Griffith Observatory

As part of my quest to find fun, cheap things to do in the Los Angeles area, I came across Griffith Park Observatory. Located on the slope of Mount Hollywood, I can imagine that once upon a time, it would have been a great site for star-gazing. Now, with the extensive light pollution, I doubt it is very active as anything other than an attraction for hikers in the area and the astronomer nerds among us. But since admission to the museum itself was free, I figured it would be a nice way to spend a day. The observatory was constructed in 1933 and opened in 1935, fourteen years after the death of Griffith J. Griffith, a Welsh immigrant who came to California as a newspaper reporter, but making millions with his knowledge (or inside information?) about mining. In 1912, after a two year stint in prison for shooting his wife in the face, he gifted a significant portion of his land to the City of Los Angeles, requesting part of his money be used to build a Greek Theater and the Observatory. Apparently, the city balked at his donation and it wasn't until his death in 1919 that the city took possession, as required by his will. So off I set. There's a roadway that will take you to the Observatory, though they warn that parking is limited and often fills up on the weekend. Rather than drive, and considering my need to lose weight, I decided to find a spot and take one of the innumerable trails. This is the point at which I should have done more research. It turns out there are dozens of trails through Griffith Park, some leading to the Observatory and other leading to what I'm sure must be a long and painful death in the desert. I may be wrong about the send option, but why take a chance. I followed the road briefly then struck out along a path next to what is said to be a bird sanctuary. I didn't see any birds, and it appears L.A. Parks and Rec is working on rebuilding parts of it. As I trekked on, raising above the sanctuary, I could see where, in non-drought conditions, there are ponds and waterways laid out. I bet it looks very nice when there's water. Man, that what I forgot to bring!
My personal dehydration aside, there are a lot of people wandering the trails here. The path I followed was fairly rain gutted at first and somewhat narrow. But it widened out after a fairly short climb. Normally, I would say the climb was fairly moderate, not too steep, but I realized quickly that its been almost two years since I've hiked last and I could feel my heart pounding.

To make matters worse, I began to realize I had no idea how to get to the Observatory from where I was at! I mean, yes, I could have asked any of a dozen people walking past me, "Excuse me, is there an observatory around here?" I'm sure they would have been more than helpful. My inability to speak due to the heavy breathing prevented me from asking though. The good news was that as I made the next curve, I found the Observatory. A bit away to be sure, but the objective was in sight. After about a 30 minute hike, and a few shortcuts, I found myself there. Walking through the pines, I almost felt like I was back at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. The building is beautiful. As you walk onto the grounds, though, the first thing the eye is drawn to is the Astronomers Monument, a Public Works Art Project designed for the Observatory, it features six of the most famous astronomers in history: Hipparchus,Nicholas Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton and William Herschel.
Also, as you make your way in watch for the Solar System Lawn Model, a scale model of the planets that helps give you a sense of the overwhelming size of our system. Once you find your way inside, there are numerous exhibits displaying the history of astronomy and the scope of our solar system. There are two that I found amazing.

The Foucault pendulum is a 240 pound brass ball suspended on a 40 foot cable. The brass ball swings in a consistent direction, while the plane below it moves with the Earths rotation. This causes the ball to knock over different pegs set around the outside of the platform. Well, that kind of sounds boring. Actually, this device, introduced in 1851, was the first visible proof that the Earth is in rotation around its axis, not stationary. In other words, the Sun does not orbit the planet. Pretty revolutionary.


 The other exhibit that really caught my attention was the Cosmic Connection.This 150 foot corridor is lined with a collection of hand crafted jewelry, providing a visual depiction of the flow of time from the Big Bang to the human era. All the pieces are connected to space and are truly beautiful. It's a very elegant display that gives you a real sense of how little time we've actually existed.

There are a number of other exhibits, from the periodic table, with samples, to the telescopes themselves. The planetarium and Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater  offer a number of programs. One I may have to go back for is All Space Considered, a public lecture on the first Friday of each month. The lectures are space and science news and presentations and are often run by astronomers from local universities. It sounds like an exciting program. 

For more information about the Griffith Observatory, including directions and visit information, visit the observatory website at http://www.griffithobservatory.org/

Fable Anniversary

Many, many years ago, I encountered a video game. Now, let me state from the get-go that I am not a huge gamer. Well, at 6'6" and 300 lbs, maybe huge is the correct adjective, but gamer, not so much. But I had gotten myself an Xbox 360 and was out looking for a way to waste a few hours while avoiding homework. And lo, there appeared Fable. A sword and sorcery tale of a young boy growing to manhood, making fateful decisions that would revolutionize how the game developed. If it didn't freeze every time I played it. I scoured the forums, and heard a great cry "it would be a great game, if it didn't keep freezing." In was a patient man, back in the day, and I would reboot the game until I managed to make it to the final chapter. And then I gave it to a friend and made him promise never to let me near it again.

Well, time makes fools of us all.  I'm now two states removed from the pain, and don't even remember the friend I gave the game to, and I've been feeling this odd longing to replay Fable. Like the alcoholic that craves that one last beer, I know it will lead to no good, but I have to have it. And so imagine my surprise to find Fable Anniversary on the shelf at Target! It was fate. I was destined to replay it. I remember some vague dissatisfaction the last time, but surely the kinks would be worked out. If they went to the trouble of updating and republishing, surely they fixed the issue that cause screams of anguish from fans.

I loaded it. I watched with a certain glee as the splash screens came and went. And there I was, standing silently in Oakvale, my father lecturing me about my sister's birthday. The controls still felt awkward, like my first love making, and just as oddly dissatisfying. But I played. I watched the cut-scenes that made me feel like I was watching a cartoon, rather than playing a game. I enjoyed the visuals, nicely done. After playing Oblivion for so long, I have forgotten that there was a time when games didn't let you roam anywhere.

And then it froze. Just like that, an hour, two hours in. I could hear the birds singing, but I couldn't even pass gas humorously. I waited patiently, as skill that is sadly in decline, I admit. I walked away. I tried to be reasonable with it, talk it through it's moment of crisis, but nothing. Just birds chirping. I tried to go to the Xbox menu, but it insisted on staying, mocking my pain. Finally, I went to restart the system.

I went online. Maybe mine was the sole copy. Better, maybe they had a patch ready, though I was prepared to be stumped that it hadn't updated when I installed it. Sure enough, there were the cries. It's frozen, it's frozen. Minnesota doesn't freeze like this. And the reply, " We are working on the problem." YOU NIMRODS HAD 10 YEARS TO FIX THIS!

**Ahem** Sorry. Kind of got away from me for a second there. See, it's every time I play. It's almost as it the developers were like, gee, we need to encourage people to see the real forests, so lets make the game come to a complete and TOTAL FREAKING STOP AND LOCK UP THE SYSTEM SO THEY HAVE TO GO OUT! 10 YEARS!!

And I'm grateful, really I am. I'll take the time to go out on my patio, listen to the kids playing baseball across the street and smoke my cigar. I'll be happy, being out and away and knowing that some things never change.

Lost Friends

A little rain to help cool the evening. Probably not enough to help the wildfires here in Colorado, but it does make the evening more pleasant.

I got an email from a friend, Elie. A beautiful redhead. I still remember when I first saw her at the Barnes & Noble in Flagstaff. I fell. I actually managed to ask, stammeringly, for her number. Even more shocked she gave it. It was the first time I had ever worked up the courage. And to really put the icing on the cake, she went out with me. And then of course, I tried to put a knife through me arm, and spent the week in the psych ward. She wasn't as friendly after. And it was years before I found the nerve to contact her of Facebook. But she accepted. Through the two most difficult parts of my life, she was there, then and now. And I truly don't think she knows how wonderful that is to me. Thank you, Ellie. 

End of the day

I'm sitting on the patio, a glass of lemonade and a Perdomo cigar. It's about 80 outside. I can just see the sunset reflected off the clouds to the west, as the sun drops below the Rockies. There's a bit of cloud cover, enough to not tell if the moon has risen. The highway is a steady stream, a babbling brook, just beyond the field. Occasionally someone wanders through the parking lot. A number of people stroll laps around the apartment buildings. And here I sit, depressed and apathetic to the world around me. 

No, maybe apathetic is the wrong word. Disengaged. Yes, that's more appropriate, I think. I see it, I see the people, and I don't care. Not today. Not for a few months now. Last time I felt this way I stuck a knife in my arm. Not this time though, I promise me that. The meds are started, the doctor appointments set, the therapy to begin. And then there's this, a public journal. Maybe someone reads it, maybe not. It doesn't matter. But I need someone to express this to, and I chose the Internet. 

Too many frustrations? Too much stress? Feeling trapped? I don't know. I just know that the feeling has crept slowly, day by day, until I could barely think. Grad school, troubled relationship, lack of social connections, challenging job. It all adds to it, until you freeze under the weight, unable to move. But I moved! I MOVED! I took the first steps, I made myself do it. And I found the people who could help and made them part of it. 

Today draws to a close. Tomorrow begins.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.

Arkansas River Flood, 1921

Source

It was June 2, 1921, that torrential rains slammed Pueblo County in Colorado, causing a flash flood that left more than 120 people dead, 140+ missing and over $19 million of dollars in property damaged. This was the worst flood in state history to that time.

The Arkansas River runs through the plains of southeastern Colorado. The Shaeffer Dam was built at the confluence of the Beaver Creek and the Arkansas. When the rains caused the Beaver to swell, the earthen dam failed, causing a huge rush of water into the Arkansas. Levees had been built along the river to prevent floods however they proved no match for the extremely heavy rains that pounded the region. As the levees failed, a deluge of water spread through the streets. According to reports, the water rose to the second story of buildings.