June « 2007 « Where Is Hawkins?

June, 2007

Chicago / panorama / photos — 1 Comment
30
Jun 07

Today’s photography project

Today I got bored at 11:30am and filled my backpack with camera gear and hopped on the nerdcycle (mental note: cycling with 25+lbs of camera crap is not fun) and rode my pudgy ass down to the Adler Planetarium. This weekend’s project: Make a gigapixel sized image of the Chicago skyline. It’s been done before, but I wanted to do it myself (and bigger!).

From a technology standpoint, basically I find myself a nice comfy spot along the water and slowly pan and shoot with my Rebel XT and my 100-400mm lens at 400mm a few hundred times and then reassemble them within Autopano Pro and let the software correct all sorts of stuff, like differences in aperture (I tried to keep it the same, but alas, I suck).

200 photos later, I did make a few “oopsies”. One is shooting during the middle of the day, so I caught things like boats moving and Autopano had a fit so I’ve got a photo that looks pretty messed up. Also, in order to make this a real panorama, I had to get the sky and shooting the sky with autofocus is impossible, so I had to take my time with manual focus and pray like hell that the software could overlap everything. That’s the easier part – the hard part is continuity. So I’ve got to come back at another time.

Basically, after all this work, I have an image that’s very large (1.6 gigapixels) but completely unsuitable for consumption. I definitely need to go back and see if I can make a cool daytime image but I might have to go with the old standby of shooting in the dark.

I’ll try to get a combination shot that I approve of posted so you can mock my photography skills.

Uncategorized — No Comments
29
Jun 07

I’ve got nothing for you

Sorry.

I’m still cycling and got this super dorky looking jersey (with matching socks). But it’s a head turner.

I’m probably going to be quitting my Yacht Club because it’s like a fun black hole. Seriously – it’s hard to quantify what you get for your membership fees except for drama, backstabbing, financial mismanagement and a bunch of unhappy people. And when you try to help or ask questions, you’re the jerk. It’s the damnedest thing.

The iPhone is out, and despite my propensity to get bleeding edge electronics, I took a pass for a few reasons: 1) Linked to ATT, which is like hitting your genitals with a hammer. 2) No third party apps, which sucks. 3) The price. WTF? 4) It does nothing additional on top of my Windows Mobile phone does right now.

Other than that, I’ve got nothing. Time for bed.

Chicago / The Hawkins 7 / cycling — 3 Comments
23
Jun 07

The Hawkins 7: Lessons learned from today’s bike ride

Today was a particularly brutal bike ride. Cold, rain and 2 flats. I’m tired and feeling sort of dejected. Instead of a ~47 mile ride, I only managed 33 miles. But I did learn 7 valuable cycling lessons today.

1) Beware of bridges. Chicago has a lot of bridges, and most of them have a nasty grate. This makes it awful to cross because it introduces a wobble and one false move means eating it. I know it is illegal, but if possible, take the sidewalk. But if you’re going to cross, unclip yourself from the pedals and take it slow and keep your balance.
2) Tire changing skills. Mine are flat out embarrassing. One flat is ok, two flats on the same tire in different areas means you get good by repetition. A patch kit is good, a spare tube is even better. I just need to get better at knowing my bike and what to do.
3) Gore-tex. This is your friend. Rainy weather calls for Gore-tex, not a stupid windbreaker.
4) First-aid kit. I’m less than graceful, so the odds are in my favor that I’m going to eat a facefull of pavement at some point, so it’s helpful to pack some bigass bandages and antiseptic. One poor guy on the ride took a spill on the bridge (see #1) and had a seriously bloody knee. Voila, bandages and antiseptic made him a lot happier and grateful. If you’re going on group rides, then it’s helpful to have one.
5) Chicago bike maps. Keep one in your backpack. Seriously. Not only does it have the route system, but has bike shops located on the map as well. So, if you’re like me and have a serious flat issue, go to the nearest shop and they’ll take care of it. If you don’t have a map, go to ChicagoBikes.org and request one.
6) Understand the CTA. Now that you have your map, have some idea of how the system works. Luckily there’s plentiful buses with bike racks, so instead of hoofin’ it or taking a cab, toss your bike on a bus to the nearest bike shop (or home, if you feel like crap). Then all will be good.
7) Shit happens. Naturally when you invest money into a bike, you expect it to work like a well-oiled machine and not have issues. Alas, stuff does happen. It sucks, but invariably it does. Stuff gets dings and dents and scratches. It’s just part of the game.

Edit: I did also learn something else about Google SMS. When you send a text message to 466453 for something local, like “sushi in 60611″, you can also use the neighborhood name. For example, when I was hunting for a bike shop in Logan Square, I searched for “bikes in Logan Square, Chicago, IL” and it popped up with the ones in the area. Bitchin’.

Also, I’ve ridden 220+ miles this month, which seems like a lot but honestly doesn’t make me feel better. I know I’ve taken strides and going from huffing and puffing doing 5-6 miles to consider 25 miles at a decent clip without a stop, but still, I want to be eating up distances.

Curling / The Hawkins 7 — 1 Comment
21
Jun 07

The Hawkins 7: 7 hotties of ladies’ curling

Yes, as promised, I deliver you the Hawkins 7 of gorgeous women who are curlers. Curling is a cool sport to watch and apparently really fun to play. I was hooked on it watching the Curling World Championships earlier this year and just got a kick out of it. Not only are these women gorgeous, but seem awesome and people you want to hang out with. And they’ve got real jobs – most of them have graduate school level educations.

1) Nicole Joraanstad (USA). Even though she’s from Wisconsin… And how can you not like a woman who gets a curling rock tattoo? She’s smart and hardcore.

2) Jeanna Schraeder (Canada). Cute and a nerd (a data warehouse architect? – total IT geek). And she’s Canadian to boot, which means she’s got +2 on personality.

3) Anna Hartlet (Germany). She’s the young hottie on the right. Still in college, she’s able to use looks and skills on the ice to bring casual fans to games to watch her do her thing – kick ass.

4) The entire Japanese curling team. These girls seem like they fell out of a j-pop fan’s fantasy. They’re all still in college and play with an unbeatable level of enthusiasm.

5) Madeleine Dupot (Denmark). Admit it, you like Danish blondes too.

6) Jessica Schultz (USA). There’s not an ounce of fat on Jessica. Plus, she’s very cool sounding and is down to earth.

7) Denise Dupont (Denmark). I like the fact that the Danish team kicks ass (not like the Canadian team or our US team) but they are all gorgeous blondes who tear up the ice.

Curling is a cool sport. I like the fact that most of the women are working while they’re playing so they’re juggling that whole work/life thing. They look like women you can see walking down the street and that you’d have a beer with. So, turn it on, read curling websites and get to know women who rock (har har).

Colonia / Uruguay — 2 Comments
17
Jun 07

Adventures in Uruguay

So I decided to take the ferry over from Buenos Aires across the Rio de la Plata to the city of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. Colonia is a small city of roughly 22,000 people but it’s a historically important one – a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally settled by the Portuguese, it kept switching hands from the Spanish to the Portuguese again to the Brazilians and eventually would get back to the Spanish Empire.

When you first arrive, you feel that time has literally stood still. Seriously, this is how I’ve always imagined how Cuba must be. After spending an hour wandering around like a dumbass (mental note: when you’re seriously lost, it’s helpful to ask for directions), I headed towards the Historical Quarter and proceeded to check out the various museums on how Colonia’s ownership was batted around more than Anna Nicole’s baby’s paternity lawsuits.

Colonia must be a really nice place when it’s in the summer, but when it’s hovering around 40 with winds whipping off of the Rio de la Plata, it turned me into a whiny bitch and I was pretty cold and miserable. The architecture itself was pretty interesting, with a combination of 3 types of architectural influences.

I stopped at a little cafe called El Drugstore right across from the Basilica of the Holy Sacrament. What a cool little place. It had this killer prawn and curry dish that I would have fought someone for since it was that cool. Plus it had this eclectic interior and outdoors, you could sit in what looked like a Model T just for giggles.

After getting some shopping done and relaxing (and coffee), I headed back towards the slow Buquebus ferry. After some difficulties with passport control, I got onboard and was pleasantly surprised. We had a nice duty free gift shop and a nice cafeteria, along with an arcade and a guy singing Sinatra cover songs. Most Sinatra cover singers suck, but hey, I’m on a ferry between Uruguay and Argentina with a guy who’s learned English as a second language. I appreciate it for what it is. A 3 hour ferry ride was quite fun and by the time I got back to the hotel, I was too tired to make a “last night” out of it and decided that I would try to make the most of my last 24 hours in town.

Buenos Aires / tango — No Comments
15
Jun 07

A night at the Tango

On Sunday morning in Buenos Aires, I decided that it was worth it a bit to sleep in, and then head to grab some breakfast somewhere along Florida Avenue. After not finding anything appealing, I decided to break down and hit up McDonalds, but was more interested in the McCafe that was a small corner of the restaurant. I must say that whomever was the person that came up with this concept is a genius. No doubt. Normally the thought of fast food coffee is cringe-worthy, but you could have got an actual cup of cappuccino or espresso and a slice of pie. Seriously, it was awesome. The cafe culture is something I’m slowly getting used to.

Anyway, I took a trip to Tigre, which is a northern coastal community outside of Buenos Aires. We ended up taking a river cruise down the Panara river (which eventually feeds into the Rio Plata, separating Argentina from Uruguay). It was sort of fun, mainly because all the homes were on stilts to account for the flooding and people got around via canoe and other boats. It was very strange but yet cool.

After some shopping and a “train ride” – part of the Tigre tour included a train ride and the river cruise. By “train ride”, they meant 30 minutes on light rail. I was kinda disappointed. But anyway – and yes, I know I just wrote a messed up sentence, but whatever. I went to a dinner and a tango performance at Michelangelo, a very interesting place in the San Telmo neighborhood in a former cellar, which had this amazing brickwork and gave a unique vibe to the entire experience.

The tango itself is not just a dance, but an expression of pain, love and sorrow. The songs that were sung in such a where it could also bring the dizzying highs of love and such sorrow that it would break your heart.

Buenos Aires / Evita — 1 Comment
14
Jun 07

Second day in Buenos Aires

On the second day in Buenos Aires I decided to go check out the Recoleta neighborhood and Recoleta Cemetary, where Eva Peron was buried. Pretty boring, right?

The Recoleta neighborhood was pretty cool itself – it’s sort of an upscale neighborhood and reminded me of Lincoln Park (sans Trixies) in Chicago. I could have spent the day outside reading a book over coffee or a glass of wine – it was just that laid back. But since I was 6000 miles away from home, I figured that I had to do the touristy thing.

The cemetary itself was pretty cool. It was big and very ornate. I’ve never really felt cool touring cemetaries, mainly because they’re supposed to be revered and sacred places for rememberence and honoring the dead – instead of a nerdy guy snapping photos galore.

The primary reason to go here is to go see where Evita is buried. You would think that she would have a more prominent tomb, but instead, the Durant family is not in a prime location – it’s towards the back and halfway down a narrow pathway.

I also got to go check out the Recoleta Church, which was probably the dozenth church I’ve been to this year. After a while, they all blur together, along with the cathedrals and other religious sites. I’m not trying to be funny – to me, they really do blur together.

I did get some walking in and had a late lunch at a place called La Chacra, where I indulged in more steak and Malbec and took a nice nap. Mmmmm animal carcases!

After the nap, I woke up and demanded pizza. Since there were no Pizza Huts in Buenos Aires (damn you Yum!) so I found a place called Filo, which is apparently where famous people have dined. When I got the menu I noticed one thing in peculiar – the lack of adding beef or sausage to pizza. Sure, I could get pizza with ham (and olives) but beef? Nope. I don’t know what the aversion is to it, but the pizza place in Buenos Aires that does that will totally rake in the money. The pizza itself was not too bad, but I must have had the world’s most inept server. It made for a weird dining experience. But whatever.

I finished out the evening at Cafe Tortoni, which has been around for close to 150 years. It was a very old but stylish cafe. It’s definitely a social place, but when you’re by yourself, it’s not as fun. I stuck around, listened to some jazz and enjoyed my wine. Tomorrow I had a busy day planned, with a trip to Tigre outside of Buenos Aires and a night at the Tango.

And something else to ponder: Why is it that smaller hotels have no problem with free wifi but larger hotels and more upscale hotels continue to charge exorbinate fees? There’s something wrong about an internet cafe charging 1 Argentinian Peso per hour (32 cents, I think) versus the Sheraton charging $25 a day. Jerks.

WTF / cycling — 2 Comments
13
Jun 07

Site seen

Today while cycling I not only took a first class spill and tore up my knee (sonofabitch!) but I did see someone at Irving Park and Damen holding a sign saying “Global warming is as fake as your girlfriend’s orgasms.”

How’d he know?

Camera geekin' / Lisbon / panorama / photos — 2 Comments
9
Jun 07

Panorama-orama

I decided to test out Zoomify today by taking a 24 megapixel panoramic photo I took from my trip to Portugal in March and export it from Photoshop CS3. I’d be interested in what you think of this. Zoomify requires Flash, which everyone should have by now.

Here you go: Estoril, Portugal. And a shot of Avenue 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires (12 lanes wide!). Oooh, and a rooftop panorama.

cycling — No Comments
7
Jun 07

Cycle of Violence, part deux

Yesterday featured a lovely ~42 mile ride up and down the bike trail, mainly gearing up for July 28th’s “Tour de Perimeter” around the city of Chicago. Click here if you want to see the Google Earth map.

Where Is Hawkins?Where travel is cheaper than psychotherapy.