Thursday, October 15, 2009

My Review of H10013 Eco-Friendly Napper

Originally submitted at FetchDog.com

Nothing makes a hard day's work easier than your trusty office dog. And nothing makes him more comfortable than our Eco-Friendly Napper Dog Bed. A FetchDog favorite, the Eco-Napper is lined with recycled IntelliLoft that's sewn to prevent bunching making it as easy on your dog as it is on ...


Good fit for a picky doggy

By Merritt from Long Beach, CA on 10/15/2009

 

5out of 5

Pros: Attractive Design, Comfortable For Pet, Easy To Clean, Soft

Best Uses: Large Pets, Medium Pet, Travel, Small Pets, Indoors

Describe Yourself: Long-time Pet Owner

I had previously bought my very tall German Shepherd mix a very squishy bed for him to lay on. However, he much preferred to plop down on a rug instead. He didn't like how the bed shifted around when he stepped on it. I got the eco-friendly napper for him try out because of its portability and its rug-like resemblance. After I placed it on the floor he knew right away it was the place for him. He curled up on it and folded his legs in to try and keep every part contained within the mat. I also like how easy it is to clean, just throw it in the wash.

(legalese)

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Octoberfest Alpine Village Torrance, CA


Every October brings Octoberfest to Apline Village in Torrance, CA. I happen to work in Torrance, so a few co-workers want to make a go of it one evening. We arrived fairly early, just after 7 pm, but it was already very busy. While walking to the big white tent from the parking lot I made the comment that it smelled like college. Stale beer does that... After $8 each we made it inside and we headed over the the beer and food ticket purchasing counter. Something like $20 each later we had enough for a plate of food and one beer. I got a super pretzel to split with friends and received many stares due to its large size. Unfortunately there was no space to be had at any table. We made due despite the lack of seating though. We watched the festivities on the stage, enjoyed all the people dressed up in Octoberfest attire and joined in on the roaming train of people. It works for once a year, but anymore than that, it makes more sense just to go to a bar.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

LA Triathlon Swim


Now I enjoy a good rough water swim. I like the challenge of timing my stroke and pace with the undulation of the ocean. However, I don't like fighting through constant surf, reaching 10 feet overhead at times, just to get around a bouy. That was the gist of the 2009 LA Triathlon swim leg. Getting out to the first bouy involved a lot of dolphing through the water, a lot of diving under waves and a lot of sprinting in between waves. It wasn't a smooth start. I was worn out by the time I reached the first bouy. Many rescuses were performed and many folks didn't even make it out through the surfline.

The water conditions were caused by storms way out in the Pacific as well as big winds. Big, predictable surf coming in nicely timed sets isn't a big challenge, but constant surf moving in every direction doesn't leave much room for swimming. It is something that is difficult to train for. I think next season I am going to try out some training techniques to improve my blast out from the beach to the bouy.

I did the swim in just over 23 minutes. That is quite a bit off of the under 20 minutes I was aiming for, that is until I saw the day's conditions. Fighting through the very croweded water the entire swim wasn't helpful either. In the end I wasn't slowed as much as I thought. I figured I easily waisted more than 3 minutes farting around in the waves. Rounding back home towards the beach I kept looking back for waves to ride into shore. I was in bad position when one finally did hit, breaking right on top of me, and I got pounded. My googles ended up somewhere out in the water of Venice Beach. After that I had to backstroke it in the rest of the way with some help from more waves. The good thing was I didn't have to worry about the googles anymore... I was lucky not to lose a contact lens.

LA Triathlon


Today I participated in the Los Angeles Triathlon for the second time. 2007 was my first experience as a swim ringer on the Olympic Relay. I missed 2008 due to it coinciding with my shoulder surgery, so I came back strong for 2009. Maybe someday I will get a bike and do the whole thing. That day might have to wait until after I stop spending money on my house and cars... ha, like that will ever happen!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Alt Car Expo - Tango


This electric car looks like it got squished between two semitrucks. If not for the massive weight sitting underneath it, I would think it would tip over at every turn.