do-it-yourself home improvement projects...

When it comes to house projects, i'm a big fan of doing stuff on my own, as long as the risk of having to call in the experts for more $$$ is manageable.  as our house is relatively new, I haven't had to do much.  A while back I did however decide to build a small paver stone (brick) patio, with the help of a real good friend of mine.  It did take a bit longer (i estimated 1 weekend :P but it took 4, yes four) however ultimately it came out fine.   I was certainly humbled and deeply appreciative for all the help I received from friends.  :)  I learned that it is virtually impossible to estimate the amount of time for a project if you've never done it before and are learning on the job.  

BKM: the best way to learn a new skill is to practice where it doesn't matter so when it does count, you already have some experience!

the other day I noticed that the local Home Depot offers various home improvement clinics (laying tile, repairing drywall...).  

Check out your local Home Depot's and see what's being offered!

the "real" patagonia...

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile (wikipedia)

This spring, Jo and I are heading off to a "big trip."  We've both been to Asia and Europe and we want to do something challenging and off the beaten path.   We figured we would put our poser Patagonia clothing to real use by heading to it's namesake and doing some trekking.  We'll be going to Chile which is ultra-narrow (avg ~109 mi wide) and super-long (2,672 mi!) to see deserts, mountains, lakes and glaciers, followed by hitting the Inca trail and Machu Picchu, Peru (wikipedia)

Fortunately for me, the itinerary is set thanks to Jo's incredible trip planning skills. When I say incredible I'm really not boasting. (She literally plans complete itineraries/transport/accommodations in 2x real time, finishing the bulk (80%) of trip planning in 1 week. 

We're now getting our gear (more later) in order and doing some training by hiking Mission Peak in Fremont (2.8 mi 1 way, 2200 ft elevation gain), although most of the terrain is ~flat and on some local trails w/ packs.  Stay tuned for more!

"TO" aka technical outwear

i'm a big fan of clothing with utility and practicality.  gimme technical outerwear aka TO (think clothes for hiking, camping, climbing, skiing) any day over those fashion brands.  i may be a major poser since i ski once a year, have only car-camped a few times in my life and spend most of time in very non-threatening, climate controlled enviros BUT if i can get good deals on TO at the same price or cheaper than fashion clothes, I'll take it!  

Big makers of TO include Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, Smartwool, The North Face (more so from the old days)...  My favorite now is Patagonia whereas I started off w/ TNF, and dabbled some in Mountain Hardwear and others.  (more later on what brands I like for what items...)

TO is typically made of high tech fabrics such as Polartec, quick drying nylon/polyester, polypropylene, waterproof/breathable fabrics (GORE-TEX, proprietary ones).   The coolest thing about TO is how these clothes perform.  Imagine a fleece jacket offering incredible warmth for its feather-like weight, the ability to insulate even when wet and ultra-fast drying (nearly dry when you pull it from the washer).  Or a nylon/polyester shirt which wicks away sweat and dries really quickly.  Finally, a baselayer long sleeve top made of ultra fine New Zealand Merino wool, which wicks away sweat, resists odor (i've been told you can wear it 1+ wk with minimal smell) and keeps you at a good temp in a wide temperature range.  Wow!

popular TO brands:

the beginnning...

I've finally finally decided to start blogging after years and years of not.  my wife jo has been the biggest inspiration to me, since she's been a dedicated blogger since she was old enough to surf the web.  and so here marks the beginning of my random musings about my hobbies and whatever.  but mostly i'll prolly write about more practical life-focused things which i call BKMs (aka best known methods - finding the most efficient/easiest ways to do things in life/at work) I encounter since it's been a growing interest for me the last several years.  (stay tuned for a dedicated BKM site which a buddy and I are working on!)

note: that i do write in the emily dickinson style of no caps and strange punctuation...,,,,===  so hopefully you're good with that.  :)

mikee