Nerd Helmets Engage!

(That is normally the type of expression Kat has on her face any time that I am involved in what we are doing. It perfectly encapsulates what it is like to live with me on a daily basis)

Kat and I returned to our former bicycling ways today with our first ride with our new bicycles. It was a lot of fun, and I’m glad that I only dragged my feet for a few months before getting my bicycle.

We went about eight miles along the Grand Canal from our house to Tempe for a round trip ride of sixteen miles. We wanted to go all the way to Papago Park, but we didn’t quite make it. But it was a lot of fun.

Here was the route.

Not a whole lot else is going on. But I do have a bicycle and a helmet and a light and a bike lock, so I hope to do some more bicycling. It also means that we are actually using the garage for something because it is where we keep our bicycles.

We already have a route planned for next weekend. If it does not deliver more interesting tidbits than this week, I probably won't blog about it.

Trip Report

Kat and I went to Arizona's state capitol yesterday for a day of fun. Herewith, is the rundown of the hijinks we got into.

First, IKEA. Those Scandinavians know a thing or three about cheap furniture. We eschewed (that means "did not attempt to eat") the furniture and instead just bought some new slipcovers for our current furniture. We now have three sets of slipcovers, but most of them have been defiled by dogs. This new set will probably stay white for about a month, but what choice do you have when your pets control your life.

Second, we drove by the building where I am going to work and what was around it. We also took a look downtown. Kat seemed to like the area where I am going to work.

Third, we drove out to the Peoria Sports Complex to sit in on an intimate gathering that was the Peoria Saguaros versus the Peoria Javelinas. Thad Franklin Weber (note: middle name has not been verified) of the Detroit Tigers organization took the mound for the Javelinas in the fourth inning. Thad gave up two runs, but he was going against all-star hitters and an umpire with a strike zone that could only be seen by using the most cutting-edge technologies in microscopy. Thad said he felt good and made good pitches, and it was really cool to get to see him pitch. I don't think I had seen him on the mound in maybe eight years, although the only improvement would have been if Elliott Lloyd Gautreaux (note: middle name has been verified) was behind the plate.

Kat and I left when it became clear that Thad would not be pitching anymore. We left the assorted scouts, autograph seekers and baseball enthusiasts (that is, rather aged and portly white men) and headed over to Scottsdale. When we got to Westworld for the horse show, there was nothing going on. Our timing was quite poor. Finding nothing to catch our interest, we executed a well-known Kat Gautreaux contingency plan: go to a mall. We went to Kierland Commons (where you can buy a loft above a B.Rep for "only" $700k!) and looked around. Kat bought a shirt with a rooster on it at J.Crew.

We then went back to Peoria to meet up with Thad and his dad Les Orestes Weber (you know the drill on the middle name) at Cheesecake Factory. Kat and I got lost, so we were a little late. We had a nice dinner. Mr. Weber was quite generous. We talked to this guy for awhile. And generally a good time was had by all. Thad explained what minor league life was like and we talked about dogs and other topics. Kat purchased a salad that appeared to have been constructed by Frank Gehry. After thanking the Webers, we returned home to Tucson. The dogs were excited to see us.

All in all, it was a pretty good day.

Shhhh! Kat is sleeping!

I'm coming to you live (through blog) from Room 2038 of the Hotel Scottsdale in Scottsdale, AZ. I picked up Keith and Shaleah from the beatiful Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix this morning and we went to the Phoenix Art Museum. Kat had to stay behind briefly to care for an ailing dog. The museum had a nice Richard Avedon photography gallery as well as some nice modern art. The museum was nice, although I didn't do too well with navigation after leaving there. But we were able to find the hotel, which is pretty swank for where I've stayed.
Kat then joined us after fighting some tangled I-10 traffic. We then went to Taliesin West - Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home north of Scottsdale. The complex is quite amazing, although it is difficult to capture in a photo or even in a typed explanation. The rooms are built into a mountain and slope similarly to the mountains, so they appear very organic. The tour guide was quite a talker, but he did offer some great anecdotes. It seems that most of Wright's most impressive innovations were the result of his annoyance with others. He was the first to install floor lighting (now used in all movie theaters and airplanes) because he got sick of people using flashlights to find their seats in his cabaret room. He was the first to use stadium seating in his theater pavillion. He was so committed to the locations he had chosen for items in his rooms, such as two clay pots, that he forced the person who was installing the glass in the room to install it around the pot.
Most of the rooms were built in a way that allows the air to flow through - since Wright only lived there in the winter - and the roofs were often made simply of canvas. This meant the rooms always had an airy, open quality, but it also meant that occasionally desert creatures found their way in and ate stuff. Much of the furniture was made by Wright and many of his designs are still kept on site. The tours at Taliesin West are pricey, but it was quite fun. I would recommend it for anyone who is in the Phoenix area. It made me want to visit the original Taliesin (in Spring Green, WI), to go see Falling Water in Mill Run, PA, and many of the other FLW buildings.
After our full day of touring, the three others in the group are now napping. Keith and Shaleah were up early and also are facing two hours of jet lag. Kat enjoys naps - especially when I'm watching basketball as I am now. I do not need a nap because I can't really take them.
I don't really know what is on the docket for tomorrow, but I think it will be fun. The weather is great (I ran the AC in the car for the first time today) and the hotel has a nice pool. I think Keith and Shaleah will have a good time here this week.
Quick NBA thoughts: Quite an impressive road trip for the Celtics. They're trying to finish it off undefeated tonight in New Orleans. Congrats to the L-Train for keeping the windows open long enough to become the Cavs' all-time leading scorer. The Suns are in town tonight to play the Rockets. If I see it it will be on TV. But I'm going to keep my eye out for the Big Cactus. If he's that big, how hard could he be to spot?