Sunday Special

Had quite an eventful last two weeks here. Best friend from back home came to visit me and TheWife for a week spanning July 4 and the ensuing weekend. Had a nice relaxing few days here at the house, punctuated with a Jekyll and Hyde round of golf at a nearby course. Shot SIXTY ONE on the front nine, and then 45 on the back. And that 45 included an 18th-hole blowup for an 8. Play that one like a normal golfer and I'm looking at carding a 41-42 on the back. Feels nice to at least know that type of golf is still somewhere within me. After the down time in CT, we headed to NYC, where we did a mini-tour of restaurants owned/operated by "Chopped" judges (if you're wondering, "Chopped" is a great show on the Food Network). We hit up Butter for dinner on Saturday night and then Stanton Social for brunch on Sunday morning. Both were excellent. Stanton Social has some of the best mac and cheese I've ever tasted. Capped off the weekend with some billiards and ice cream in Soho and headed back to CT.

Spent the last week in CT catching up on work, planning upcoming travel, and trying to atone for the week-long eating binge I allowed myself. Unfortunately, I gained about 2.5-3 lbs and was squarely back at 179-180 at the beginning of the week. Thankfully, though, I hit CrossFit Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday while trying to rein in the eating. Eating still hasn't been as paleo as I would like, but that's ok. Back on the horse this week.

Took a nice drive through the tri-state area yesterday to Somerset, NJ for a niece's first birthday party, then made a beautiful sunset drive out to Allentown, PA (actually, Orefield, but who's really keeping track?). I remember an old co-worker from Philadelphia once told me that "Pennsylvania is basically Pittsburgh on one end, Philadelphia on the other end, and Kentucky in between." Well, however you may view it, Pennsylvania really has some picturesque countryside, and TheRanga appreciates that. Some of the landscapes and panoramic valley views on 78 west were simply breathtaking, which made the drive a lot more digestible.

Anyway, got to Orefield, where I met up with JayMoney, Bashon, and Bashali for some good home-cooking and Johnny Walker Black. Stayed up til 4 am just shooting the breeze about nothing in particular. Reminded me of those nights in college where everyone is having so much fun hanging out and knows we should be going to bed soon, but no one wants to be the square who calls it a night. So the night just continues on and on with more stories and jokes until finally someone cracks. Anyway, yours truly over here simply fell asleep while being spoken to and that virtually put the lid on the night. Shameful. Shades of Dad, who is notorious for asking a question and then snoring during the response.

Slept in til 10 this morning, had some delicious pau bhaji, set a new record on Temple Run (5.4 million!), and headed out around 2:30pm. Got back to the house about 7, hugged TheWife, endured the last half of the feature film "It Takes Two" starring Mary Kate and Ashley Olson, which was TheWife's hand-picked selection for her Sunday night entertainment, made an omelet for dinner, and began watching a real people movie called Fargo.

Not much on tap for the week--more work to be done, trips to be planned, workouts to be completed. Big upcoming travel schedule. At this point, here's what I have:

July 20-22: Chicago (TheWife has an interview there)
July 24-29: Seattle/Tacoma (work/wedding to attend)
July 30-August 3: DC, Nashville, St. Louis, Atlanta, NYC (work)
August 10-17: India (work)
August 24-26: Asheville, NC (wedding)
August 31-September 3: Long Island (wedding)

Going to be somewhat exhausting, but hopefully fun!

Finally, the Assault update. Like I said, I'm around 179 unfortunately, but hey, I had a good week, and I still weigh 24 lbs less than I did a year ago, so I'm not too worried about it. More focus on the eating side of the equation this week with some intense workouts built in and I'll be back at 175 in a couple weeks, me thinks.

Current weight: 179.0
Target weight: 175.0
Time frame: 2 weeks

Dirty Decks, Done Dirt Cheap!

Ok, last summer I cleaned out and stained the basement. This summer, I tackled the deck attached to the back of our house. This deck is about 11 years old, but based on its appearance, I'm guessing has never been properly maintained or treated. Here's what I started out with:

As you can see, the wood is pretty weathered and gray and there is no lack of moss that has been beaten into the wood over the years. Years of snow, rain, harsh sunshine, and foot traffic have given the deck this appearance. Here's a bit of a closer look at the discoloration and weathering on the wood:

So, basically, our deck is gross and not fun to hang out on. We spend as little time as possible on the deck. Once the grilling is done, we are inside. I don't like that--the deck should be an attraction, not a repellent. So, on the advice of a neighbor, I took a pressure washer to the deck. I've never used a pressure washer before, but let me tell you, it is fantastic. Just don't put your hand or foot in the line of fire. A pressure washer will absolutely rip the skin off of your body if you F around with it. I turned the thing up to 2200 PSI and blasted the deck for about 3 hours, trying to get every nook and cranny possible. This is what I had the next morning after the pressure bath:

I was amazed at how much difference the pressure washer made. Looking at the wood, it almost looked like a newly constructed deck. Thankfully, the wood was still in decent enough shape to withstand the pressure wash; weaker wood would have splintered and basically fallen apart after the abuse I gave the deck. Here's the second look:

Notice that I was also able to pressure wash all the gunk off the back of the house, so that was a nice bonus. The next morning, I hit the wood with a "wood cleaner," basically a solution that will penetrate the wood and kill any of the moss/algae/gunk that has built up in the wood that I may have missed with the washer. Using the same pump sprayer that I used to stain the basement last year, I saturated the entire deck so that all the surfaces were wet. I let the cleaner stay on for about 20 minutes and then rinsed it all off gently with the pressure washer. 

After the rinse, I gave the deck a full day and a half to dry out in the July heat and then started at it with some semi-transparent, water-based stain. Because I still had some nice wood underneath all that gunk, I didn't want to cover up the  wood grain with a solid stain, so I went semi-transparent to keep the wood's natural beauty in view. Using just a 4 inch brush and a 2 inch brush, I hit the railings and posts first, which took about 3 hours. Clearly, that was the hardest part, because I had to be artful with the brush but also get every tough-to-reach spot imaginable. And every one of those posts you see on the railing? Yeah, I had to get all four sides. That was murder. Anyway, after the railings and posts, I hit the deck floor, which took about 2 hours. Finally, I ended up with this:

And this:

The stain is a bit more orange than I would have liked, but I'm sure with some sun and some wind, a bit of aging on the wood will bring it back to a nice, rich brown. In any event, it looks a thousand times better than it did a week ago, which was the goal. And I'm happy to say we got some serious use out of the deck on July 4th. Now we can grill and drink beer on the deck in peace, without wondering if the deck is somehow going to infect our exposed skin.

And the best part is, the whole project took about three hours of pressure washing, two hours of wood cleaner application and rinsing, and five hours of staining over two and a half days. And the total cost of the project? $80 for the pressure washer, $55 for two gallons of stain, $10 for a gallon of wood cleaner, and $15 for two paintbrushes. So basically $160 for a brand new deck! 

Thank you, I'm here all week.

States of the Union

So I was watching a movie in passing the other day (I think it was Crazy Stupid Love) and a girl says something like "Yes, Maine! I've been to Maine, so that makes six states that I've been to." Then I thought to myself, "Six seems like a very small number." I think I've been to most of the states in the US, and actually spent meaningful time there (ie, not "connected through on a flight"). So I'm going to figure out my number right here, right now. I guess we'll just go alphabetical?

Alabama - Driven through many times and now spending plenty of time there, where TheWife went to high school.

Alaska - Never been.

Arizona - Been a few times with the family to Sedona, and also spent the better part of two weeks in Scottsdale this year for a conference and a wedding.

Arkansas - Used to play in U-10 and U-12 soccer tournaments in Crossett and El Dorado. Amazingly, both quite forgettable places! Also, spent a summer in Arkansas at Camp Ozark, which was basically Vacation Bible School on steroids. Yes, I'm Hindu.

California - Lived there for two years.

Colorado - Plenty of elementary and middle school ski trips to Denver/Winter Park. Recently, even had a business trip there.

Connecticut - Living in it right now.

Delaware - Driven through many times during my drives up and down the east coast. Not sure I've ever spent a night in DE, but I could be wrong. I think driving through an entire state is good enough, though.

Florida - Family vacation destination during childhood, even though we would routinely get turned away as the hurricane du'jour barreled towards us.

Georgia - Visited BigSis when she used to live there, and also now spending tons of time in Atlanta (work) and West Point (TheWife).

Hawaii - Crossed this one off the list last September, when TheWife and I headed to Kauai with my family. Toured the Na'Pali coast, took a helicopter ride over the island, and of course, attended a luau and drank plenty of mai tais. Great time.

Idaho - Drove through the state on my drive from NC to WA in 2004. Stopped in Coeur d'Alene for pho, which was fantastic. And I don't think I've seen a more picturesque place than Coeur d'Alene in my life.

Illinois - Been to Chicago plenty as a kid and recently for work. Also, drove through in 2004. Was blindsided by the amount of aggressively Christian billboards and signposts along the highway. But hey, I guess that's Middle America!

Indiana - Drove through the state in 2004 on the way to WA and I think spent a night outside Indianapolis during that drive. Also, drove through in 2008 on my way from WA to GA. I'm counting it.

Iowa - Drove through in 2004 and in 2008. Both times, I think I covered just about the entire state. Very polite people. Very aggressive Christian signage.

Kansas - Spent a night in Wichita in 2001, when I drove with Ro from LA to WA. Drove through the entire state as well. Fondest memory - getting through KS, stopping in CO to fill gas and noting that Ro's black vehicle was littered with dead bugs and at this point could only be described as "vomit yellow." I asked him, "Why are all the bugs so yellow when they hit the car?" His response: "I don't know? Corn??" It sounds ridiculous, but it has to be the answer, right?

Kentucky - Drove through in 2004 on the way from NC to WA. I distinctly remember passing the lights of Louisville. I'm counting it.

Louisiana - Grew up there.

Maine - Never been.

Maryland - Been to Baltimore many times for work, visiting friends, attending a wedding, etc. Never saw Stringer Bell, though.

Massachusetts - Been to Boston many times, driven through the state on the way up to Vermont.

Michigan - Went to a wedding in 2006 in Colon, MI. Flew into Battle Creek, which is apparently the cereal capital of the world because General Mills is there. Learn something every day! Also, visited a good friend there in Grand Rapids in 2008.

Minnesota - As many times as I've connected through MSP on a Delta flight, I've never actually gotten out and visited the state. And surprisingly, in my many cross-country drives, never touched Minnesota. Can't count it.

Mississippi - Played a few soccer tournaments in Greenville, MS as a kid; attended a writing workshop in Jackson in high school; plenty of garbas attended at Mom and Dad's behest in Jackson; plenty of praying done at the Jackson temple, which was the closest temple to us in Louisiana. And of course, have driven through umpteen times on the way from LA to NC and other places.

Missouri - Visited a friend in St. Louis for a long weekend back in 2006 and also attended my uncle's wedding in St. Louis in 1998. But I think that's about it.

Montana - Drove the entire state in 2004. Entered at mile marker 551 or something astronomical and had to go all the way down to 0, where I hit Idaho. Filled gas in Billings or Bozeman or Butte--can't remember.

Nebraska - Attended a Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, NE in 2008. Also, drove through on many of my cross-country trips.

Nevada - Vegas. Enough said.

New Hampshire - Spent a weekend in Nashua visiting some family friends back in high school. Also, drove through and destroyed a coyote last summer. Count it! Arie 1, New Hampshire Wildlife Protection Services 0.

New Jersey - TheWife has plenty of relatives in NJ. We're probably there once every month or two.

New Mexico - On the drive from Los Angeles to Omaha in 2008, spent a night in Grants, NM. That's about all I can say, other than the customary "drove through the entire state" on a few occasions.

New York - Beyond NYC, drove all through upstate NY in 2008 on my way from Chicago to Cooperstown for the baseball hall of fame. Some of the most beautiful countryside in the entire US, and I think I'm qualified to make that judgment. Straight Last of the Mohicans shit going on off of Route 17. My only regret is that I drove through the Finger Lakes region at night, so couldn't fully savor all of it. Spent a night in Oneonta, visited the baseball hall of fame, saw a Howard Johnson hotel, which I didn't think still existed.

North Carolina - Went to undergrad there. Plenty of visits now that Bashon and Bashali live there as well.

North Dakota - Never been.

Ohio - Spent a long weekend for New Year's this past year in Solon, OH. Also, went to Cincinnati in high school to visit some family friends and visited the football hall of fame in Canton in 2008. Drove through multiple times.

Oklahoma - Drove through the entire state in 2001 on the way from LA to WA with Ro. Again, unfortunately, we drove through at night. From what little we could see, we missed some really tall rock canyons and such. It actually may have been nice to witness in the daylight.

Oregon - Spent a night in Baker City, OR in 2001 before the last leg up to Seattle. Also, headed down to Sand Dunes National Park in 2006 to ride dune buggies, where I drove one off a 20-foot sand dune, somehow survived, and then had to pay $250 to fix the damn thing. Never going back.

Pennsylvania - Visited Pittsburgh and Philly in high school with the family; went to a wedding recently in Philly; accompanied TheWife there for an interview a few months ago. Great food in Philly.

Rhode Island - Visited Providence in high school, when BigSis was thinking of applying to Brown. Did not happen upon Peter Griffin, Adam West, or Quagmire, sadly.

South Carolina - Drove through tons of times on the way from LA to NC and back. Also, spent a weekend there in high school with some family friends who lived outside Greenville.

South Dakota - Drove through the entire state in 2004 on the way to WA. Not much to the land, as it's very flat, but it's peaceful and beautiful. Farmland as far as the eye can see.

Tennessee - Was there recently for some work. Also, drove through a few times in childhood. Good BBQ, but that's about all I know about TN.

Texas - Went there a ton as kids, when we'd go see Texas Rangers games and go ice skating at The Galleria. Also, have driven through the entire state many times and even spent a few days in Harlingen, TX, right on the Mexico border, for some work a few years ago.

Utah - Drove through most of the state in 2001. Saw the Great Salt Lake from the highway. It really looks like a huge basin of salt with some water in it. Apparently, if you live in Seattle, your nearest Chick Fil A is in Ogden, UT. So what if I looked into this when I was living in Seattle? I was just curious! I don't have an addiction!

Vermont - Spent a couple of days in Bretton Woods last summer at the Mount Washington resort. Beautiful but also spooky area. Saw a black bear about 50 yards from me. Hit golf balls at him.

Virginia - Driven through many times, been to Richmond for business and to visit friends, and also spent plenty of time in Alexandria and Fairfax, where some friends used to live.

Washington - Used to live there. Absolutely beautiful, especially in the summer. And the beer! Oh, the beer.

West Virginia - Drove through in 2004. Stopped at a TCBY I think. All I remember were some very windy and steep roads and some extremely thick "Appalachian" accents. Very scenic state to drive through, though.

Wisconsin - Drove through the state on the way to visit a friend in Madison in 2008 and even got a 20k checkup on my car in Fond du Lac. Spent another couple of nights in Milwaukee visiting another friend. Right up there with upstate NY in terms of sheer natural beauty on the drive in southern WI. Odd, I know, but you'd be surprised at some of the rock formations and hills among the vast expanses of flat green farmland there. And Madison is a beautiful, charming little town. Great place. Except for the 6 months surrounding January, I'm guessing.

Wyoming - Spent some family vacations as a kid in Jackson Hole; also spent a night in Gillette in 2004. Big mining town, apparently, and it was about 38 degrees in early May there. Fun fact: apparently WY has more cows than people.

So that leaves me with Alaska, Maine, Minnesota and North Dakota left to visit. Maine is achievable in the near term, seeing as I live in CT. Maybe one day I can convince TheWife to take an Alaskan cruise with me. Minnesota, I have no idea. Maybe a Final Four or Super Bowl will be there one day and I'll make my way there. As for North Dakota, I have no clue. But I'll get it one day and be at 50.