Saturday, January 09, 2021

2020 - Good Riddance

This post is usually titled "New Experiences", but "Good Riddance" is more appropriate for 2020.  2020 was mostly filled with sadness and troubles, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

New Losses

My Father - My father was a victim of the Covid-19 pandemic. As much of a loss as this was for us, it was exacerbated by the way the pandemic isolated our family, prevented us from being with him on his last days, and had made it difficult for us to grieve together.  Sadly, many families around the world are experiencing similar tragedies.  At least there is hope for 2021 that the vaccine will help us reach herd immunity.  A new normal will be reached, but it won't be like before the pandemic.

Neil Peart - Drummer and lyricist for the band Rush.  Rush is one of my favorite bands and Neil Peart was an inspirational person.  His lyrics were poetic and unique for a rock band.  He was a big part of what makes Rush special.  He died too young.

James Randi - James Randi was a scientific skeptic who has contributed greatly to the skeptical community.  I had the fortune to meet him when he gave a talk at a local University and I also attended one of his skeptical conferences, which was an awesome experience .  He was an excellent science communicator.

 

New Experiences

Not a lot of opportunity for new experiences due to the Covid pandemic.  Had to cancel a trip to Alaska, which was a big disappointment.  I'll get there eventually.

Virtual Reality - Not really my first time experiencing it, but now I have my own headset.  Playing games, socializing and taking virtual tours are great features of virtual reality, especially when real life travel options are limited. 


New Food

Became a big fan of single ingredient ice cream this year.  Easy to make and very tasty.

Discovered golden kiwi this year.  Much sweeter than green kiwi.



Saturday, May 16, 2020

It IS Rocket Science

Check out this incredible visualization of what is happening inside a rocket being launched into space.  The rocket engines are shown translucent so you can see what is going on.

From left to right, these are the  Saturn V, Space Shuttle, Falcon Heavy and the Space Launch System (SLS) rockets.  Red = kerosene RP1, Orange = liquid hydrogen and Blue = liquid oxygen

Brilliant video by Hazegrayart



Wednesday, January 01, 2020

2019 New Experiences

Taking a look back at 2019, here are some new experiences for me...

New Places Visited
Mount Rushmore / South Dakota - It was on the bucket list.  Mt. Rushmore was not the highlight of the trip, though.  I really enjoyed visiting Custer State Park in the Black Hills.


New Activities
Topgolf - Last year I tried this for the first time, but this year I signed up for a league.  This was a log of fun and my golf swing is improving.
Pickleball - Similar to tennis, but easier to learn and enjoy without finding somebody with similar skill level.
GoApe -  A treetop ropes adventure that had a wide range of increasingly difficult challenges.  I was exhausted by the end of the experience.

New Foods
The grasshopper tacos at Cocinas were surprisingly good.  They also make a decent jalapeno  infused cocktail.



Sunday, December 23, 2018

2018 New Experiences

Taking a look back at 2018, here are some new experiences for me...

New Places Visited
Downtown Denver, CO - while I have been to the Denver area many times, I don't think that I've ever spent any significant time downtown. 
Morgantown WV - While camping in West Virginia, I stopped by Morgantown.  Home to West Virginia University, it was a nice oasis in the wilderness. 

New Activities
Topgolf - Been meaning to try this.  It was fun.

New Foods
This year I've become a fan of spiced drinks such as Michelada (spiced beer).   Crooked Run Brewery is running White Guys From Maine Make the Best Salsa which is very similar to a Michelada.


Saturday, October 27, 2018

Snacks

I put the following snack options out for the household to enjoy, a nice healthy pear and some HoHos.  Can you guess what happened next?  Click on the picture to see.


Friday, December 29, 2017

2017 New Experiences

Taking a look back at 2017, here are some new experiences for me...

New Places Visited
Hawaii (Big Island) - Kona, Hilo, Volcano National Park - visited pretty much the entire island.
Doylestown, PA - nice quaint little town where my sister lives
Local Parks - Leesylvania State Park, Elanore C. Lawrence Park

New Activities
Indoor Skydiving (iFly)
Whitewater Kayaking
Paint Night

New Foods
Hawaiin foods - poke (yum!), lau lau (yum!), poi (blech)
Fruits - Rambutan (yum), Longan (yum), Cherimoya (yum-yum)
Meats - tongue (meh)

 
Thanks to MikeB for recommend this idea for a post.

Thursday, December 07, 2017

Back Flipping Robot

Wow, yet again another thing that robots can do that I can not.