Listening to and lovin’… 08/13/10

This week, I’m listening to and loving…

Puerto Vallarta - July 2010

July 28 through August 2, a group of twelve friends traveled from Kansas City to Puerto Vallarta for my friend Mike’s 30th Birthday.

Highlights from the trip

The penthouse

We stayed at Vallarta Shores overlooking the beach, just south of Blue Chairs. The place was beautiful with a huge open-air common living space and deluxe kitchen. Each penthouse also had a private pool and three bedrooms, all with private baths. Amenities included wifi, TV’s in each room, mini-stereos with iPod hook-ups, daily maid service, and our very own private chef, Carlos.

A day on the mighty Pacific Ocean

On Saturday morning, we met up with Captain Ernesto Alfano and his beautiful and very friendly wife of ADA Sailing. We did a private day cruise on the Pacific Ocean, just to the south of Puerto Vallarta along the Mexico coast. We stopped for several hours to snorkel and swim in the sparkling turquoise waters, just south of Le Kliff.

Friends, new and old

While I knew a handful of the twelve Kansas City guys well, it was good to spend time with old friends, and get to know a few others better. I also had the opportunity to meet a long-time social networking pal Dan, who happened to be in Puerto Vallarta on an overlapping vacation. The group also made a new friend, Felipe, a friendly traveler from Toronto, who joined us for many of our activities.

Photos from the trip

Group shot
Group shot prior to departing Puerto Vallarta

The group on the beach at sunset
Group picture at sunset

Small group at La Noche for drinks.
Small group at La Noche for drinks.

Condo, decorated for Mike’s 30th Birthday
Condo, decorated for Mike's 30th Birthday

Mike, Birthday waltz
Birthday waltz

All aboard the ADA, destination Banderas Bay
All aboard the ADA, destination Banderas Bay

Turquoise waters of Pacific Ocean near Puerto Vallarta
Turquoise waters of Pacific Ocean near Puerto Vallarta

Northrock SC7 Men’s Bike Review

My Review of Northrock SC7 Men’s Comfort Bike

Specifications of the Northrock SC7

  • Lightweight Aluminum Frame
  • RST Sofi T Fork - High Impact Absorption
  • Shimano M191 Crank & Altus Drivetrain (21-speed)
  • TEKTRO Linear Brakes
  • SRAM MRX 3.0 Twist Shifters with PROMAX Levers
  • VELO Plush Comfort Saddle & Ergonomic Grips
  • Kenda 700C Tires
  • Alloy Rims with 14G Stainless Steel Spokes
  • Quick Release Wheels & Adjustable Seat Post

Pros

Lightweight, solid bike with a comfortable, smooth ride. I am 6′3″ 200lbs and the Northrock SC7 fits me nicely. Seat height adjusts with ease using quick-release lever on seat post.  The brakes work like a dream. Shimano Crank, Drivetrain and Tektro Brakes are some of the best components around. I wasn’t familiar with the Northrock brand, but the frame has a lifetime warranty. The Northrock SC7 was $259.99 at our local Costco, so the price is definitely a pro. A hybrid bike with similar components is several hundred more at local shops. Costco’s generous return policy is also a pro.

Cons

The pedals  on the Northrock SC7 are plastic and feel a bit cheap. The seat moves slightly from side to side when biking. The SRAM MRX twist shifters are listed as a feature, but I worry they won’t last as long as a convention shifting mechanism. Many experts say any bike purchased from a retail outlet should have a tune-up from a bike shop right away. This could could easily add $50-$75 to the cost of the bike. I’m no expert, but the Northrock SC7 rides and shifts smoothly, so I think I’ll skip the tune-up. Be sure to physically inspect the bike for damage from customer mishandling prior to purchase.

Photos - View all

Northrock SC7 Hybrid Comfort Bike

Discussions about Northrock SC7

Clean up your Gmail or Google Apps Mail inbox

Looking for a few quick ways to free up space in your Gmail or Google Apps e-mail account?

Find and delete e-mail from non-human senders

Search for the pattern below:

from:((airlines OR announcements OR auto OR calendar OR confirm OR contact OR convio OR custhelp OR daemon OR deliver OR discuss OR discussion OR ebay OR email OR house OR info OR list OR myspace OR netflix OR newsletters OR mailer OR noreply OR no-reply OR notification OR notify OR order OR paypal OR postmaster OR private OR rsys1 OR list OR senate OR webmaster))

Find and delete attachments, multimedia files

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For multimedia, search filename:(wmv|ogg|mov|m4a|mp3|mp4|aiff|aa4|ppt|pps|pot)

Third Annual Ski Trip in Park City

Here are a few photos from our Third Annual Ski Trip in Park City, Utah. Fifteen good friends, a huge house, lots of skiing, home cooking and a modest stash of booze.

Fifteen of us at our house in Park City, Utah
The 15 of us at our house in Park City, Utah

Our larger than life house
Our modest winter home

On the gondola at Canyons
On the Gondola at Canyon Resort

Jason & Zack at Canyons
Jason and Zack at The Canyons Resort

Time-out at Canyons Resort
Timeout at Canyons Resort

Roger & David on gondola at Canyons
Roger and David on gondola at Canyons

Josh & Zack on gondola at Canyons
Josh & Zack on gondola at Canyons

Ready to bobsled at Utah Olympic Park
Ready to bobsled at Utah Olympic Park

An Event Apart - Seattle

An Event Apart - SeattleI’m all registered and ready for An Event Apart - Seattle. An Event Apart is the design conference for people who make Web sites.

It will be my first time in Seattle, so wish me luck. I’m not a fan of clouds and rain, so I’m crossing my fingers the April showers adage, doesn’t apply in Seattle.

If you’re in Seattle, let me know, so we can meet up! The conference runs April 5-7, but I’m coming to Seattle April 2, to ensure I have time to explore the city.

Christmas in Hutchinson Kansas - 2009

My brother, Ryan’s family. Left to right: Kameo, Keaton, Ryan & Natalie
My brother's family

Brother’s with mom: Ryan, Garrett, Mom & Blake
Brother's with mom: Ryan, Garrett, Mom & Blake

Natalie, Blake & Keaton
Natalie, Blake and Keaton

Photos from Washington, DC trip - December 2009

Kurt, Mike and Allen waiting for tour of Washington Monument
Kurt, Mike & Allen at Washington Monument

The Whitehouse from the top of Washington Monument
The Whitehouse viewed from top of Washington Monument

Washington Monument and clear blue sky
Washington Monument and blue skies

Me inside Washington Monument
Garrett inside Washington Monument

Inside the rotunda at the United States Capitol
Rotunda at United States Capitol

Me in front of the United States Capitol
Garrett at United States Capitol

Mike, Kurt and I at Sculpture Garden in DC
Mike, Kurt and Garrett at Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC

Favorite iPhone apps for 2009

CardStar

CardStar iPhone app

Tired of carrying dozens of customer loyalty & rewards cards in your wallet? CardStar is the answer. Save & create scan-able bar codes which are stored in the app. When you approach the counter, launch the app and select the name of the merchant. Price: Free.

Update: I’ve tried using CardStar at my local grocery store and gym. Neither could scan the bar-code from my iPhone. :-(

Gowalla

Gowalla iPhone app

Not only does Gowalla do all of the cool stuff the other location-based apps do, it makes it fun by giving you stamps & rewards for each place you visit. Gowalla has one of the most polished iPhone interfaces I’ve seen. You can also use it to update your Facebook and/or Twitter status. Price: Free.

iFitness

iFitness iPhone app

Track individual exercises & workouts at the gym. iFitness also has a number of built-in workout programs. The application keeps track of the exercise, repetitions & weight. It also keeps historical data to allow you to track your workouts over time. Price: $1.99.

Tweetie

Tweetie iPhone app

If you love Twitter, don’t be caught without Tweetie. The Tweetie iPhone app packs more features than the Mac equivalent, including: location-based/geo-enabled tweets, ability to quickly look up user names, shrink URL’s and add or snap photos with a few taps. You can also use Tweetie for multiple Twitter accounts. Price: $2.99.

Photos from Puerto Vallarta trip - October 2009

Group shot (minus me) at Puerto Vallarta beach
Group shot at Puerto Vallarta beach

Secluded beach near Puerto Vallarta
Secluded beach near Puerto Vallarta

Our lonely sail boat
our lonely sail boat

Ready to zip line at Canopy River
Ready to zip line at Canopy River in Puerto Vallarta

Me zipping through the mountains
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