I managed to take 4400 photos / videos that total 12.5GB in 2009. My backup for the year spanned 3 DVD-Rs. As I have done in years past, I made one set for an on-site backup, and a second set for an off-site backup. (no, this is NOT overkill. You should have seen what i did with my film camera negatives — those are stored in Acid free books, and descant packs were used to keep the moisture constant ) Anyway, I did a file checksum compare between the original source file on the HDD, the first DVD-R backup set and the second DVD-R backup set to ensure there were no bit errors and the data integrity was solid. I also made sure that the DVD-R was readable on a second computer without issue. That part alone took 5 hours.

At 9pm my computer has a HDD auto-clone operation that kicks in every two days that copies everything from C drive to my D drive. I use the Casper software to do this. That took a few minutes to update. At 10pm I was finally able to copy the 2009 photos into my E drive which is powered on every once and a while when I need to do a quick digital backup without needing to burn stuff to media.

Oh yeah, I spent way too much time on Facebook while the backups were occurring. Too bad I didn’t go riding.

I registered for the following cycling rides today:

• Worst Day of the Year ride 2010 (Feb 14th) – 40 mile option
• LiveSTRONG Seattle 2010 – 100 mile option. Join my team at: http://seattle2010.livestrong.org/TIO
• Tour de Cure (Hillsboro) 2010 – 100 mile option. Join my team at: http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=7041&px=5551585

Monday Jan 4th – 1am: Tweeted to #FB: “1am. Still wide awake. I really should have tried to maintain a normal sleep schedule over the last few days… Need to be awake by 6!”

Well, 6am came by and waking up was an insane challenge. I had a 7am appointment at Kaiser (Mother Joseph Plaza campus), but I got the run around and the doc wasn’t in the office. That is not what I’m expecting when you have an appointment setup. So I had things rescheduled for 1pm that afternoon, but all the way over at the Kaiser Sunnybrook office in Clackamas. I took the afternoon off from work and drove all the way out there. A little inconvenient to drive out there, but I got medically cleared to resume cycling… thank goodness everything should be OK.

I went to Fred Meyer to pick up groceries and saw a car with plates that read “DR HRBL.” I took it as “Dr. Horrible” which made my day. Jill pointed out that it could be “Dr Herbal” … which kinda ruined the fun! Anyway, got food for the next few days. I made a tuna noodle casserole [recipe] for dinner. It was a quick and easy meal to make, and it was good. I would argue that the recipe only serves 2 people, not 4.

I went through Facebook in the evening hours and noticed I got tagged in Jessica’s vacation note. For the record, 10am is WAY too early to text while one is really wanting to sleep . Cycling plans for this Saturday with Jess is in progress.

Tuesday Jan 5th – 1:40am: Tweeted to #FB: “1:40am. Awake for the last hr & can’t sleep. Isn’t there a ’sleep mode’ for this mind?:(”

I really need to get the sleep schedule back on track. This is gonna hurt much more as the week progresses.

I looked at my Google Analytics report this morning and noted that the number search result that leads to my website is “Frootee stargate” and links to my blog entry in October 2009.

I’m pleased to announce that showing Dr. Horrible a few times over the summer months has taken hold in some of my friends… even when one is on vacation, and said person may have been watching it in the car as they were a passenger heading to their destination… ahem… Jessica.

I started watching Firefly again. Yeah, I think enough time has passed that I can enjoy watching the series again. The last binge was in August as noted in the entry titled “The last 3 Months” and subsequent drawings and collection of Firefly maquettes.

Cycling plans set for Saturday morning – 9am, 30+ mile ride around Hillsboro.
Plans set for Sunday too… this will be my second visit to Corvallis since graduation. Should be fun!

Wednesday Jan 6th – 1:00am: Tweeted to #FB: “Really? 1am. Why can’t I sleep?!? Three days straight of sitting in bed for 1+hr without falling a sleep. Crazy.”

I’m starting to think about getting a smart phone and a data plan. Maybe a Blackberry won’t be too bad after all. I’m gonna stay clear of the iPhone unless they can seriously increase the battery time. We’ll see what happens. It’s just a thought for now. It would be nice to be connected to the world and have access to information at your fingertips.

My refrigerator is on the fritz again. Its a 2003 General Electric GSS22WGPC side by side. The condenser coil in the back of the freezer is completely frozen over and the fridge section is getting close to 50 degrees. I spent the better part of the evening taking the food out and storing it in a ice chest so things won’t spoil. I removed the shelving from the freezer side and removed the back panel to the freezer. Spent a good 30 minutes aiming a hair dryer at the coil and got everything melted away. I didn’t have a chance to completely dismantle the freezer components and diagnose what is wrong, but at least this will get the fresh food section back in working order for a few weeks. Perhaps I’ll look at the components tomorrow night. Just need to do some research first. I did find a good forum and replacement parts website for some helpful advice from other consumers and repair guys:

Appliance Blog: http://www.applianceblog.com/mainforums/
Replacement parts: http://www.appliancepartspros.com/
Replacement parts (Sears): http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/index.action
Exploded block diagram for my fridge: http://www.appliancepartspros.com/partsearch/model.aspx?model_id=5242135&diagram_id=22287624#d22287624

Thursday Jan 7th – I left work early today. There wasn’t much to do (and I’m thankful for that!)… though I still need to complete my performance review.

I took apart the freezer section once again. This time, I was on a mission to check what was wrong. It could have been one of three things: 1) the defrost heater , 2) the thermostat, or 3) the logic board. The logic board is the most expensive part… around $160. Visual inspection of the board didn’t show any signs of burns, or bulging caps. So that’s good. I’m hoping it’s item 1) or 2) since those cost MUCH less.

Anyway, I packed away all of the freezer food in a tote again and stored it outside with some ice. I proceeded to remove the shelving, then the back panel. Next came the ice maker motor, and the evaporator cover. The evaporator cooling fan was next to be removed. It covers and houses the access points for the defrost heater and thermostat that I was interested in. It took a bit of effort to disassemble as i had to squeeze myself into the freezer cavity. That was a bit awkward.

The thermostat tested OK and the wiring continuity was just fine. I tested the defrost heater last and found it open. It’s a resistive heating element, so it should have registered something on the ohm-meter, but didn’t. (In hind sight, I guess I could have checked the defrost heater FIRST without having to completely remove the freezer compartment components. Oh well). I found a replacement defrost heater from the Sears Part Direct website for $36 + $10 shipping. Not too bad I’d think — the closest part store that carried stock was deep in PDX, so $10 isn’t too much to pay for convenience. This is still cheaper than having a GE tech come out and shelling out $80 for just the diagnosis fee + parts + labor. I should get the part by next Thursday. Lets hope that fixes it.

I snapped a few pictures of the take apart and posted them onto facebook. If you don’t have an account, you can view them through this public link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2238986&id=19700626&l=3d5e1d27ba

To wind down the evening, I talked to mom for an hour and caught up on the week. She’s really worried that I’ll get cold in China… I keep telling her my jacket is warm enough; yes, I’ll be warm; and no, -4degC isn’t that cold with the gear that I’m bringing.

Rest in peace Mr. O’Halloran. You will be missed by all of your past and present students at Mt. Tabor M.S.

-T

Friday Dec 25th – Christmas day cycling – 18.3 miles, 1hr 10minutes. [Ride info]. Had dinner with the parents in PDX. Secured some black tea

Saturday Dec 26th – Went snowboarding at MHM after dark with Javier, Chad and Jim. The runs were well groomed. Photos have been posted on Facebook.

Later that night, I started to plan out the major cycling rides for 2010. Some invites have already been sent out on Facebook (sorry for all of the spam). The ride events that I plan on doing this year are listed below. Note that most of these rides are for a good cause, I encourage you to participate!

• Worst Day of the Year Ride – February 14th – Tentative – I will most likely volunteer as a ride along mechanic (~40 mi)
• Reach the Beach 2010 (American Lung Association)- May 15, 2010
• LiveSTRONG 2010 (Lance Armstrong Foundation) – Seattle – June 20, 2010 (Tentative, falls on Father’s day)
• Seattle to Portland 2010 – July 17-18, 2010
• Tour de Cure 2010 (American Diabetes Association) – July 31, 2010
• Portland Twilight Criterium (Just a spectator cycling event) – August 6, 2010 (Tentative date; official event not yet announced)
• Hottest Day of the Year Ride – Early August – Tentative – I will most likely volunteer as a ride along mechanic (~45 mi)
• Providence Bridge Pedal 2010 (Providence medical) – August 8, 2010
• Portland Century – Mid August – Tentative – I will most likely volunteer as a ride along mechanic (~60 / 100 mi)
• Tour de Vine – are we doing any rides in Oregon’s Wine country this year? Seth??

Of course, there will also be a bunch of random rides after work and on the weekends.

Sunday Dec 27th – Went cycling with Erik around HB. 22.11 miles. [Ride info]. I DID IT!!! Cycled 2509 miles for the year! I’ll put in more if the weather holds for the next few days. If not, we’ll start counting the new miles early January 2010!

• March 2009 – 107.29 miles (3/12 start)
• April 2009 – 340.03 miles
• May 2009 – 463.55 miles
• June 2009 – 530.47 miles… See More
• July 2009 – 464.37 miles
• August 2009 – 308.76 miles
• September 2009 – 106.40 miles
• October 2009 – 000.00 miles – wow, that is sad.
• November 2009 – 38.33 miles – that is sad too!
• December 2009 – 149.36 miles (12/12 – 12/27)

79 total rides for the year. 162.8 hours on my bike (6.8 days).
I need to fix those low mileage months in 2010

Went to dinner at Panera bread with Erik, Irene and David. I got the french onion sour dough bread bowl. That was pretty darn good.

Alright people, until next time! Ride on and stay safe!
-T

Help the fight against cancer. Donate to the Lance Armstrong Foundation today!

The Lance Armstrong LIVESTRONG Challenge ride is on June 29th, 2008 and we need your help! Currently, there are nearly 12 million people in the US that are living with cancer. More than 1.3 million people will be diagnosed this year, and over 1,500 lives will be claimed in the next few days. This year, I’ll be participating in the 100-mile LIVESTRONG Challenge ride.

The LIVESTRONG Challenge is hosted by the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and was founded in 1997 by the champion cyclist. The LAF unites people through programs and experiences to empower cancer survivors to live life on their own terms and to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. The LAF relies on your generous donations to give cancer survivors hope and support.

• $10 provides information packets to 16 cancer survivors to offer support, inspiration and hope.
• $50 provides 36 people cancer survivorship information, worksheets to organize their fight against cancer and support, inspiration and hope from other cancer survivors.
• $155 provides a cancer survivor one-on-one direct support through the LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare program.
• $250 provides LIVESTRONG Survivorship Notebooks to 27 cancer survivors.

I’m asking for your collective help to raise the minimum of $250 to ride and to hopefully meet my fund raising goal of $500. All donations, regardless of the amount, are welcomed. If you wish to donate, please visit the following website for details. You can make a secure donation online, or print out a form for donations in the form of personal checks. You may also contact me directly. If you decide to donate, please do so before June 25th.

Donation Website: http://portland08.livestrong.org/thomasng82

If you are interested in participating in the LIVESTRONG cycling challenge (10, 40, 70 or 100 miles) or the LIVESTRONG 5K run, then I encourage you to find out more at the LIVESTRONG challenge website:

Event website: http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/site/c.frKPI1PAIoE/b.3935399/

I thank you in advance for your time and generosity in giving to the LIVESTRONG Challenge. I’ll keep you updated on my fund raising as I prepare for the event!

Regards,
-Thomas

This is a comprehensive biking log as I train for the Reach the Beach (RTB) – 100miles on May 19th – and the Seattle to Portland (STP) – 200miles – on July 14th/15th! The list will be updated on a regular basis

Riding with my mountain bike, knobby tires to begin with, then swapped to slicks

March 30th: 12 miles; 1hr 10 minutes; avg speed: 10.29mph
March 31st: 21.2 miles; 1hr 49 minutes; avg speed: 11.67mph
April 4th: Registered for the Seattle to Portland! – 2 days, 200 miles.
April 10th: 29.2 miles; No ride time recorded
April 15th: 34.04 miles; 2hrs 49minutes; avg speed: 12.09mph
April 20th: I put away my snowboard for the season, the RTB and STP training really begins!
April 20th: 23.37 miles; 2 hours; avg speed: 11.69mph
April 21st: Registered for Reach the Beach! – 1 day, 100 miles. Help me out, donate to the American Lung Association of Oregon!
April 23rd: 17.92 miles; 1hr, 14minutes; avg speed: 14.53mph
April 24th: 40.19 miles; 3hrs, 2minutes; avg speed: 13.25mph
April 26th: 50.17 miles; 3hrs 35minutes; avg speed: 14.00mph – HALF CENTURY MARK!
April 27th: 22.63 miles; 2hrs, 0minutes; avg speed: 11.32mph – Conquered Washington Park

Got my road bike!

May 5th: 14.42 miles; 56minutes; Avg 15.14 mph; max 29.05mph; avg cadence: 74
May 6th (morning/afternoon): 57 miles; 3hrs 46minutes; Avg 15.17 mph; avg cadence: 70 – Downtown Portland to St. Helens, OR via Hwy 30
May 6th (evening, cumulative total): 67 miles; 4hrs 46minutes; Avg 14.96mph; avg cadence: 69
May 9th: 21.81 miles; 1hr 29minutes; avg 14.68 mph; max 27.80mph; avg cadence: 72
May 12th: 100.55 miles; 6hrs 35minutes; avg 15.26mph; max 33.08mph; avg cadence: 76 – Downtown Portland to Rainier, OR via Hwy 30 [map]
May 19th: 100.35 miles; 6hrs 48minutes; avg 14.75mph; max 34.40mph; avg cadence: 73 – We Reached the Beach! Portland to Pacific City [map]
June 3rd: 27.7 miles; 1hrs 55minutes; avg 14.38mph; max 29.31mph; avg cadence: 70
June 10th: 23.14 miles; 1hrs 36minutes; avg 14.43mph; max 33.79mph; avg cadence: 70; elevation climb: 850feet. On West Union to Skyline Blvd.
June 16th: 29.82 miles; 1hrs 53minutes; avg 15.80mph; max 31.52mph; avg cadence: 79
June 17th: 28.32 miles; 1hrs 54minutes; avg 14.83mph; max 26.52mph; avg cadence: 70
June 22nd: 30.48 miles; 2hrs 16minutes; avg 13.38mph; max 26.03mph; avg cadence: 63; taking an easy ride tonight…. more rides tomorrow!
June 23rd: 33.94 miles; 2hrs 12minutes; avg 15.37mph; max 30.37mph; avg cadence: 62; MORE riding on Sunday! I broke 700 miles since this blog entry started and rode 497 miles on my road bike!
June 24th: 24.60 miles; 2hrs 1minute; avg 12.16mph; max 25.57mph; avg cadence: 57; it was pouring down rain this morning. It sucked.
June 25th: 9.16 miles; 0hrs 35minutes; avg 15.67mph; max 29.05mph; avg cadence: 70; a trip to REI and around Hillsboro stadium
June 27th: 40.11 miles; 2hrs 49minutes; avg 14.23mph; max 27.80mph; avg cadence: 65
June 30th: 101.00 miles; 7hrs 15minutes; avg 13.91mph; max 36.37mph; avg cadence: 65 – Started at OMSI, down the Springwater Corridor to Marine Drive to I-205 path, to Springwater Corridor, up through Washington Park, to 231st and Baseline in Hillsboro, to the Trimet Park and Ride by Nike World Campus, to Cedar Hills, to RadiSys Corporation, to Hillsboro Stadium, to Home.
July 1st (morning ride): 40.64 miles; 2hrs 26minutes; avg 16.73mph; max 31.22mph; avg cadence: 75. HWY30
July 1st (evening ride): 44.24 miles; 2hrs 48minutes; avg 15.77mph; max 31.23mph; avg cadence: 71. HWY30… again. I completed 92.94% of the STP (185.88 miles) in training rides in the last two days!
July 5th (evening ride): 21.84 miles; 1hr 29minutes; avg 14.61mph; max 27.02mph; avg cadence: 67. From Tigard to Beaverton to Hillsboro. [map] I completed biked 1010 miles now!

RIDE TOTAL AS OF July 5th: 1009.84 miles – equivalent to doing the STP 5 times!
More rides to come!