At Mary and Gabe's:
Abbi & Mom
Mackayla and Uncle Paul
Dad and Mary
Matt and Kelly
Mary's the photojournalist
Clockwise: Abbi (at 9 O'clock), Matt, Kelly, Paul and Mackayla, Gabe, Andrew, Rex
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Mt. McKinley!
Today Rita and Beth flew by the mountain the natives call Denali...
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Breathtaking...
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I actually wrote "breathtaking" before I saw this picture of Rita. I guess it really is!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Beth and Rita's Terrific Alaskan Adventure Begins
After flights to Fairbanks, Beth and Rita boarded the train south, taking them to Denali National Park.
Here's their first big adventure in the park:
See how Beth dressed to match the chopper! And, yes, that's snow and ice, on top of a glacier.
Breakfast juice on the train. It's a great way to start the day. (Is the ice from the glacier? I'll have to ask.)
Wish I were there.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Internet Explorer or Google Chrome?
My primary company laptop is a Dell Latitude D830: big screen, big memory, and heavy. There's another, even bigger Dell laptop I occasionally use (it's currently overseas on a demo tour with a fellow employee) -- even heavier. Both are hot on the lap (using all that memory and the fast processors).
Then, there's my little Dell "netbook" (Inspiron Mini 10). It's light, very light, and the battery lasts for hours; plus it runs cool (as information theory/thermodynamics would predict). However, its memory (1 GB) and (1.6 GHz) speed create problems with Internet Explorer; the Microsoft browser is slow to load and reload and has problems with more than a few tabs. So I downloaded Google Chrome 5.
There are more than a few people who use other browsers than IE, such as FireFox and Safari. However, for my purposes, Chrome is just fine. It's much quicker than IE, although it lacks all of IE's functionality. If I need to shut down the netbook quickly, or the battery runs down while I'm doing something else, Chrome offers the option of restoring all of the previously open tabs.
Oddly, Microsoft Outlook Web Access in Chrome operates somewhat differently from Outlook in IE. For example, in Chrome there is a Junk tab for quickly dumping spam. In IE 7's Outlook implementation it's necessary to use the Move or Copy to Folder button (or equivalent right-click commands) to move spam messages to the Junk folder.* The Chrome version of Outlook uses Javascript and HTML, for the most part, but so does the IE version. It would be interesting to compare the source in each browser to try to figure out where the differences are coming from.
*Why not IE 8? My company has some intranet apps that don't appear to play well with IE8. I discovered this after downloading 8. What to do? Downloaded and installed FireFox. Uninstalled IE 8. Downloaded IE 7 and installed IE 7. I suppose I could have copied the IE 7 install to the desktop after downloading it through 8, without going through the FireFox drill, but what I did do sounds a bit more dramatic, don't you think?
Then, there's my little Dell "netbook" (Inspiron Mini 10). It's light, very light, and the battery lasts for hours; plus it runs cool (as information theory/thermodynamics would predict). However, its memory (1 GB) and (1.6 GHz) speed create problems with Internet Explorer; the Microsoft browser is slow to load and reload and has problems with more than a few tabs. So I downloaded Google Chrome 5.
There are more than a few people who use other browsers than IE, such as FireFox and Safari. However, for my purposes, Chrome is just fine. It's much quicker than IE, although it lacks all of IE's functionality. If I need to shut down the netbook quickly, or the battery runs down while I'm doing something else, Chrome offers the option of restoring all of the previously open tabs.
Oddly, Microsoft Outlook Web Access in Chrome operates somewhat differently from Outlook in IE. For example, in Chrome there is a Junk tab for quickly dumping spam. In IE 7's Outlook implementation it's necessary to use the Move or Copy to Folder button (or equivalent right-click commands) to move spam messages to the Junk folder.* The Chrome version of Outlook uses Javascript and HTML, for the most part, but so does the IE version. It would be interesting to compare the source in each browser to try to figure out where the differences are coming from.
*Why not IE 8? My company has some intranet apps that don't appear to play well with IE8. I discovered this after downloading 8. What to do? Downloaded and installed FireFox. Uninstalled IE 8. Downloaded IE 7 and installed IE 7. I suppose I could have copied the IE 7 install to the desktop after downloading it through 8, without going through the FireFox drill, but what I did do sounds a bit more dramatic, don't you think?
Quiznos
Next door to Qdoba in Arvada Ridge is the alternative sub-sandwich place: Quiznos, part of another Denver-based restaurant chain. While Subway is the elephant on the block (actually its nearest location is a couple of blocks south, across the street), there's no question that the other Q provides a more sophisticated product than Jarrard's old hangout. On the flip side, Subway is ubiquitous and quick-witous too.
Rita, Matt, and I have not only our Quiznos preferences, but also size choices. Rita is happy with the Bullet, I go with the Torpedo, and Matt gets the largest (short of party size).
The oven that produces the toasted Quizos product dominates every store. Sometimes I think immensity of the big caterpillar toaster is perhaps why the more open aesthetics of Subway allows the latter to continue to dominate subspace.
QZ produces, without doubt, a tastier sandwich, even though SW, too, now offers quick-toasting as an option. Somehow, Subway seems friendlier, while QZ folk seem to be doing hidden things behind the oven. Both places seem to go through enough plastic gloves to keep one oil refinery in business for years. By the way, just who is Doctor's Associates, Inc. (scroll to the bottom of the page), anyway?
Rita, Matt, and I have not only our Quiznos preferences, but also size choices. Rita is happy with the Bullet, I go with the Torpedo, and Matt gets the largest (short of party size).
The oven that produces the toasted Quizos product dominates every store. Sometimes I think immensity of the big caterpillar toaster is perhaps why the more open aesthetics of Subway allows the latter to continue to dominate subspace.
QZ produces, without doubt, a tastier sandwich, even though SW, too, now offers quick-toasting as an option. Somehow, Subway seems friendlier, while QZ folk seem to be doing hidden things behind the oven. Both places seem to go through enough plastic gloves to keep one oil refinery in business for years. By the way, just who is Doctor's Associates, Inc. (scroll to the bottom of the page), anyway?
Qdoba
Metro Denver is home to several fast, big-burrito restaurants: Chipotle, Qdoba, and Illegal Petes.
Chipotle, initially independent, then purchased by Macdonalds, then spun off is perhaps the largest such big-deeto chain in the US (around 1000 locations). The chipotle pepper used to flavor the burritos is at once both its primary draw and detriment (what if you, like I, don't like chipotle?).
Then there is Qdoba (which I first came to know as Z-Teca). I'm a fan of the grillled vegetables burrito (requesting both kinds of beans - black and pinto) along with pico de gallo sauce, shredded cheese and sour cream. Sometimes I'll add a Nantucket Nectars drink to the order.
Rita is partial to the chicken mango salad, which is available only during the summer months.
Qdoba is enough of a frequent visit that we each have our own Qdoba Card, getting "free" burritos/salads every tenth or so order of same. Happily there is a Qdoba nearby at the new Arvada Ridge center (in Arvada, but has a Wheat Ridge address -- go figure). It's one of more than 400 locations.
Illegal Petes has what I count as six locations in the Denver-Boulder area. We haven't visited IP's lately, but I remember it from it's Boulder (Pearl Street Mall) and Denver-16th Street Mall locations as dark, funky and every bit as tasty as Qdoba. Also, it's beer menu was much more extensive than either of the two, mega-chains, with margaritas, too.
Chipotle, initially independent, then purchased by Macdonalds, then spun off is perhaps the largest such big-deeto chain in the US (around 1000 locations). The chipotle pepper used to flavor the burritos is at once both its primary draw and detriment (what if you, like I, don't like chipotle?).
Then there is Qdoba (which I first came to know as Z-Teca). I'm a fan of the grillled vegetables burrito (requesting both kinds of beans - black and pinto) along with pico de gallo sauce, shredded cheese and sour cream. Sometimes I'll add a Nantucket Nectars drink to the order.
Rita is partial to the chicken mango salad, which is available only during the summer months.
Qdoba is enough of a frequent visit that we each have our own Qdoba Card, getting "free" burritos/salads every tenth or so order of same. Happily there is a Qdoba nearby at the new Arvada Ridge center (in Arvada, but has a Wheat Ridge address -- go figure). It's one of more than 400 locations.
Illegal Petes has what I count as six locations in the Denver-Boulder area. We haven't visited IP's lately, but I remember it from it's Boulder (Pearl Street Mall) and Denver-16th Street Mall locations as dark, funky and every bit as tasty as Qdoba. Also, it's beer menu was much more extensive than either of the two, mega-chains, with margaritas, too.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Dunes!
Late one afternoon, we broke off from our business planning and took to the dunes of Dubai. Scores of Chevy Tahoes loaded with adventurers (not just our group), some timid and others eager to hit the sand.
Specially outfitted Tahoes ready to hit the sand.
Before entering the dunes, the drivers drain air from the tires. We then venture into the sand.
Into the dunes...we're on top of one here (Rex secures the navigator seat).
That's a lot of sand...
Steep slip face of a tall dune; wind blows right to left.
Adventurers (Rex is in the burgundy T-shirt: center, back row.)
Another Tahoe pioneering the way for us (actually there were about twenty SUV's ahead of us).
Un-posed adventurers at the end of the trip.
Sunset.
Ripples ("mini-dunes") on top of a dune at sunset.
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