summer, the best time to find winter deals....

I've done pretty well the last few summers at getting some great gear at prices half of what they are at in season... They key is patience, and in turn you probably still spend the same amount of money as you would have but get gear that is twice as good...

Two things I was looking to pick up this summer at discounted prices, a nice pair of goggles and helmet-earphones for listening to some tunes while on the slopes...

Having a pair of old-scratched lenses, I was able to get by... and some cheap ear-bud style earphones also suited my needs for this season... But with a bit of birthday funds, I was able to snag these:

-Spy Soldier Goggles 60$ ($125+ in season)

-K2 Baseline Earphones (snap in-earflaps for my helmet) 25$ ($60 in season)
These allow me to listen to my mp3 player, walkie-talkie, or even if need be answer my cellphone without taking them out of my pockets... very handy when you are on a chairlift and you are all bundled up already...


both from REI.com, great store... great off-season deals...

Some other gear which I've mostly picked up offseason...

Looking forward to next winter already, even though this weekend -- memorial day, is often considered the official kickoff to summer....

thinking about the choice.

Almost any seasoned tech guy has probably faced the same question at one point in his/her career...

Do I stay technical, working towards a senior tech position within a company? Or do I try my hand at management, and work towards a higher degree of technical management within a company?

I'm gearing up to go to grad school at some point in the near future, and this unanswered question is part of the reason why I have not already gone back for more education, chosen a degree of study, or fully explored the various schools that offer these degrees.

I don't think RIGHT now is the time to answer this question, but if you have insight that would possibly influence my decision in one way or the other, I welcome you to contact me --

feel the winds

This summer I hope to do a bit more sailing, getting comfortable enough to handle the boat in different directions relative to the wind is one of the tough challenges of learning to sail.

If there is a wind blowing, you can pretty much go every way, except, straight dead into the wind. By the end of the year, I should be able to handle all these directions and with any luck, may even know what to call each point of sail or possible 'wind' scenario...

mother natures mothers day monsoon...

Have you ever forgot to give your mother a card on mothers day? Well this year looks like we all forgot about Mother Nature... and she cried, hard... Seemed like 10+ days of rain, rain, rain... While the northeast got hit hard, (Why couldn't this have happened in winter!) the whole country was pretty much covered with rainclouds... I kept looking at the 10 day forecast, hoping for a glimpse of sunshine... Well last night, the sun finally peaked it's head through and the people rejoiced!!

It happened to be the evening of my birthday, and that gave us two reasons to celebrate! Although the forecast ahead looks spotty, I'm optimistic we *wont* see that again this year... But at least next time, there will be a pump in my basement ready to go...

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