Staircase

Just a quick picture from my hike a few weeks ago up at Staircase in the Olympic National Park.

Plantae Lilliopsida Liliales Liliaceae Tulipa

At the urging of a close friend of mine, my girlfriend and I headed up to La Conner back in April to partake in Skagit Valley's annual tulip festival. The 24th annual festival was our first, so we weren't sure what to expect. I figured even if it was just a bunch of flowers, it would be a good opportunity to take some good shots with my often neglected Sony. It turned out to be a beautiful day, with high, wispy clouds temperamentally darkening and lighting the Crayola landscape. Vivid yellows, rich violets, and ruby reds. It was worth stepping around the small herds of people gathered near the entrances of the various fields. Advancing past the masses just a few hundred yards we were able to take in the empty fields undisturbed. It was really great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Picasa Web Albums - Kevin - Skagit Valley...

Long Weekend

Just a quick post to show off a photo from my "long" weekend! More photos to come once I've combed through all of my photos! This is the Lake Quinault Lodge in Quinault, WA.

A Better Mouse Trap?

After running with these on my car for past couple of weeks, I have to say they might be worth their $40 price tag...well almost. Sometimes the desire to try something new and cool out weighs my better judgment especially when it comes to things where my car is concerned. The unique, bracket less design does seem to allow the blades to adhere to the windshield perfectly, even at highway speeds. The outcome is a nice, uniform swipe which during a Washington winter means just one less thing to worry about while cruising along in the precipitation on I-5, down 99, or just down the road to my favorite greasy spoon for breakfast.

So Good They Should Be Illegal

Seriously. After getting a chance to join a local flag football team a few weeks ago, I started looking for a few select items to making playing in the cooler weather a little easier. One of the items I was told was a must get was a pair of receiver gloves. After scanning the shelves of several local sports stores, I finally gave up and started searching online. I finally broke down and did a little research to find the "perfect" receiver glove. I figured if I was going to have to order (and worse wait for) a pair or gloves they had better be well worth the wait. I can honestly say justice has been served. I finally decided to order a pair of these from Dick's Sporting Goods website. The Cutter's Pro Fit Receiver Glove is described on the Dick's site as having "C-TACK Integrated Grip". Wow. I'm not sure what the hell C-TACK is but these things are crazy tacky. Wet, dry, it doesn't matter. I've always wondered how college and professional receivers and backs are able to hang on to some of those bullet passes and withstand the punishing blows of angry defensive backs - could it be that at least a few of those guys have a pair of Cutter's tucked away in their locker?

Old Movies

I am a pretty big movie fan. I find myself watching movies more and more. Even with the quality of some of the shows recently (Lost, Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Deadwood, Grey's Anatomy, etc.), I often still crave silver screen entertainment over compelling serials. As I've gotten a bit older, 'older' films seem to appeal to me in a way that most new films do not. After noodling on it a bit, I realized that it was the dialog that seems to make the difference. Cinematic jewel or forgotten favorite, many of the films of the past had to keep an audience engaged without the assistance of CGI wonderment and spot on FX.

I have a growing number of favorite films, including two that I saw during the month of December, that reminded me of this very fact. The first is a great drama, The Sand Pebbles, starring Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Richard Crenna, and a very young Candice Bergen. The story is simple yet dramatic and interesting. It centers around McQueen's character, Jake Holman, an engineer in the U.S. Navy, aboard the USS San Pablo on patrol in troubled, revolutionary era (1926) China. McQueen's quiet, powerful performance in this fascinating film garnered him his only Academy Award Best Actor nomination. I happened to be watching TV with my parents a few years ago around the holidays, when The Sand Pebbles came on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Atypically, it was a movie I'd not only not seen but wasn't even familiar with (quite the coup for my parents who haven't been to a theatre or beaten me to a viewing in many years). At my parents urging we al sat back and enjoyed a viewing (all 179 minutes). The movie has stuck with me ever since. I happened upon a presentation of it a few months back - it was ever better the second time around.

The second film, Topper, an early comedy by Constance Bennett and Cary Grant is hilarious! The film's screw ball physical comedy and brisk, understated dialog is very very funny. Like many great, older films, it is interesting to witness the level of expression based on the social norms of the period. It is often what is not said or shown that is the most revealing or risque. Topper itself is not a great film, just an example of good comedy executed by two Hollywood icons. The film follows the follies of Bennett and Grant as the Kerby's, a fun loving, high living couple who find themselves ghosts in limbo after a car crash. The Kerby's are stuck in between worlds after dying because of their hijinx and not having done any particularly good or bad deeds in life soon find great humor in poking fun at and livening up the lifestyle of a stuffy bank president, Cosmo Topper. Classic moments include several scenes where the Kerby's car appears to be driving itself. My Dad and I had to muffle our laughter after finding this gem late on TCM one evening a few days after Christmas this year. Neither of us expected the movie, especially given its production value and simple, goofy story to be very entertaining or funny. It was both and more.

Timberland. Indoor Performance.

Sometimes it pays to ask. That is what I learned at the Bellevue Square Mall's Timberland store a few months back. Thanks to a quick comment from my girlfriend and the extraordinary help I received from the Timberland associate I walked out of the store with a free pair of boots! I purchased this pair of boots at a Nordstrom Rack store this past summer. Unlike most of the Timberland shoes and boots I've owned over the years(I've had quite a few including a pair of boots similar to these [same style toe but ankle high with brass eyelets all the way up and leather laces] I fondly remember resoling several times during my first few years in college), I had an eyelet failure (the top eyelet on the left boot broke off) soon after purchasing them. Now, to be honest, I can be pretty tough on items (Kevin-Proof is a product label reserved for only the most rugged of items) but after taking these on one major hike and bumming around in them over a few weekends and into work a few times, I didn't see their demise coming. I thought, damn, now what am I going to do with these nearly new boots, as I doubt 1) I have the receipt, 2) Nordstrom Rack will take them back and 3) I can have them easily fixed at a shoe repair shop. I also figure that if they were at the Rack, they are most likely a discontinued model. So, into the hall closet they went, sitting unusable and unrepairable. Suck. Months pass.

I happened to see the wounded pair while rummaging in my hall closet for a jacket one evening. I was heading to the mall to do a little after Christmas shopping and thought Damn, I wonder if I ought to try and return them to Nordstrom Rack or call Timberland or toss them or .... Ah well, I wasn't ready to give up, but I didn't really hold out much hope that I'd remember to take them with me to beg and plead with the clerk at the Rack. After wandering for a while, surprise surprise I found myself ogling boots and shirts in the Timberland store. I spied a really cool vest on sale but couldn't make up my mind, so I continued wondering. A while later, I dropped into the store again to try and decide about the vest (I got it by the way ... its great). In the meantime, an associate approached and asked something to the affect of "can I help you with anything". I think for second and retort with the standard "just looking" reply. As I continued to wander around the store, I noticed that there on the shelf are my boots. I pick them up, showed them to my girlfriend, and remarked that I couldn't believe they still stock "the boots". In the meantime, my girlfriend, by now probably tired of listening to me complain about "the boots", mentions something to me about asking the associate about what I should do about "the boots". She mentions something in the direction of the associate who starts asking me a few questions - what boots I have, what the issue is, etc.. She very patiently listens and then offers to replace the boots since they are an item that she caries in the store. I reiterate that I purchased the boots months before at Nordstrom Rack. She replies that it won't be a problem. I callously think, this is great, but what is she going to say when I actually bring them in? Better yet, what kind of run around am I going to have to go through to get them replaced?

A few weeks passed by. Finally, I'm headed over to Bellevue Square again. I remembered to throw the boots into my car - I figure it can't hurt to at least take them in since the Timberland associate offered. I sheepishly haul them into the mall in, of all things, an Eddie Bauer bag (hey I can't do all my shopping at Timberland right?). I'm in luck, I recognize the associate that was so helpful a few weeks prior and approach her with the boots in hand. I'm going over what I'm going to say in my head as I walk towards her. Here goes. I start my pitch. She, amazingly, remembers talking with me about "the boots". I hand her the boot with the broken eyelet. She examines it quickly, asks for my size, and heads for the back room. She returns shortly with a new pair of boots. She says "you're all set". Huh? What? That's it? No return form, no receipt, no fuss. I simply walked out of the Timberland store after what must have been less than 10 minutes with a free pair of boots! Wow! I don't know if she quite realized it, but not only was I extremely impressed with her exemplary handling of the situation, I was now impressed with the store and Timberland.

I started off believing that Timberland might be slipping a bit.

Now, whenever I throw the boots on, I recall the story, and it reminds me why I'm (still) a big fan of Timberland.

Boom goes the dynamite

Just a quick post to hassle and thank my friend Brett, who as an active and long time blogger, has been pestering me lately to start blogging again. Thanks Brett!

The Customer is always right...ok maybe not always...

Typically I'm not one to complain about things. No really. I stand patiently in the express line at Target behind the family with 4,000 items, I dutifully put up with the tragically youthful sales people at Best Buy (if they didn't have such cool stuff I doubt anybody would willfully subject themselves to that level of mistreatment...but I digress...), and even let in that guy that is always in the right hand lane way too long (nearly plowing over those over sized orange pylons with his Dodge Stratus), but even I can get a bit testy when it comes to poor customer service.

I'm 33 and yes I am (finally) going on my inaugural visit to Las Vegas in just two, hopefully short days. Apparently, I am also going to be paying for an extra night at the Luxor. Enter Southwest Airlines ala Southwest Vacations. After perusing several "discount" ticketing sites for the best deals on airfare and hotel accommodations, I thought I'd check out Southwest and see if I could possibly get a decent deal on airfare. After pecking around a bit I located the Southwest Vacations and found a few decent options for direct flights and three nights stay. I selected one. I read over the "agreement". Blah blah blah. I know there is something in there that is going to screw me...probably better I don't read it too closely. Anyway, I figure, I don't ever travel
so it'll be fine. A few days later I thought I'd be slightly clever -- I find out that I can stay in my girlfriend's room for the first night (she'll be in town on business for the week), to reduce my trip cost (allowing me to spend all my hard earned $ on ... well Vegas). Here comes the fun wagon. So, after stalling a few days, I finally phone my friendly Southwest Vacations representative and find that shockingly they can't find anyone that can help me with canceling the first night of my reservation at the Luxor. Please call back tomorrow she says. Ask for Customer Service she says. They should be able to determine whether or not the reservation can be changed -- but she's pretty confident that I'll be fine as long as I'm outside of their 48 hour window. Apparently any changes or cancellations within the 48 hour window are simply too labor intensive or too volatile to deal with. :) Don't worry it gets better.

Although I disagree with the label Customer Service, just for fun lets describe them that way. I call SWVacations 800 number and start explaining the situation to the representative. No, I'm told, you can't make any modifications to your reservations within 72 hours of your trip. Huh? I explain that I spoke with a representative the day before and recount our little chat. No dice. May I speak with someone else that may be able to take care of this I ask? A new, tougher voice answers; a New Jersey lilt explaining how SWVacations has a 4 business day window for reservation modifications. What...I thought she said... No, its 4 days, not 3, and its business days not days. In fact, he comments, you would not have been able to get the reservation modified, even by the original representative because of the "window". Thanks for bringing that up. How no matter what, I would have been screwed. Greatly appreciated. Nothing like starting the day up hopped up on 20oz. of caffeine followed by an annoying and frustrating phone call. I promise myself I won't break anything when I get back to my desk. Finally, I give up. I am sure to politely but firmly let the supervisor know that I don't understand their policies. Why am I not being taken care of I ponder? I'm not trying to get out of my reservation, I'm simply trying to shorten my luxurious stay at the Luxor by a mere day. Hmmm... Then I get the best part. I could have CANCELLED my reservation all together...because I was within the 48 hour window for reservation cancellations. What? Explain it to me like I'm 3. You mean to tell me I can have all my money back up until 48 business hours before I fly but if I want to modify my existing reservation I have to provide 96 hours of notice? Something isn't adding up. How does this make any logical sense I ask? Here comes the science -- I'm told that the reason for the 4 business day window is so that the vacations company can be sure that they can accommodate my reservation modifications. Accommodate. Don't think thats actually occurred. Wha? Is the Luxor perhaps, unbeknown to me, building my room? Are they frantically constructing my sarcophagus as I write? Did I mistakenly click on the 'buy a seat on the plane' link? Who is accommodating who?

In a time when I can send email from my cell phone to any one the planet from anywhere, stick the entire Metallica catalog on a single piece of polycarbonate plastic, and spend my evening writing articles about vacation reservations gone awry for all the world to read, why is it that an online vacation company needs hours upon hours to handle simple reservation changes? In this "fast-food, slick-ass 'Persian Bazaar" world have companies lost track of the most important thing...the customer?

Subaru Impreza! Part II

So after much debate, hand wringing, and general rationalizing (of course I need an AWD sedan! i'd be crazy to not do some more "research"), I decided in the spring of 2003 to start seriously looking for a WRX. The 2004 models were starting to become available, the number of variety of WRX sedans and wagons were starting to diminish, and the pricing on the 2003's was starting to drop.

Sedan or Wagon? Sedan or Wagon? I couldn't decide. I had flashbacks to my 1980 Ford Fairmont station wagon with simulated wood grain (ugh what an ugly beast silver with brown wood grain and tan trim) each time I thought of the wagon, although honestly I thought that the first WRX I ever encountered -- the 2002 WRX Wagon I test drove -- was remarkably un-wagon like. Finally though I made up my mind -- based logical [read 'gear head'] criteria -- the weight and power distribution was closer to the ever so elusive 50/50 in the sedan :)

I continued to ponder and finally, as the Virginia summer heat started to crank up, I found my WRX. A 2003 World Rally (WR) Blue Pearl sedan. But first, a test drive.

A WRX in WR Blue Pearl, by that time in 2003, was a tad difficult to find. Once I had my heart set on a "blue" one of course I couldn't find a single one in town. Instead I located one out towards Leesburg, VA. After getting beyond the general chit-chat with the Internet sales guy, I headed off to what I thought would be a fun but short test drive ... Little did I know that I was in for a driving lesson -- my "sales guy" turned out to be a former German diplomatic services driver! He possessed the skill and precision required to bring the WRX to the edge -- demonstrating elements of its handling and performance that I wouldn't reach for months! I suppose after slaloming behemoth Mercedes limousines around, throwing my next ride around must have seemed easy. One a slightly damp morning, with a scant 50 miles on it, my pilot opened the WRX up immediately, drifted it through several corners, performed an emergency style stop (to demonstrate the maneuverability even with the ABS fully engaged in slowing the frenzied boxer) on a side road, before finally topping the ride off with a dramatic high speed cornering move that I to this day I enviously dream about reproducing...

Space Needle

Just a quick post to show off my wacky photo of the Space Needle at night from Alki.

Not the photograph I was hoping for -- but sometimes the most interesting photos are unexpected. Right? OK so I didn't have a tripod...its still pretty cool.