Wednesday, July 26, 2006
April to May catch-up
I know it's been a while, so here is another catch-up (April and May) of what has been happening with me... actually a lot:
April 8-23: went back to Taiwan to attend the Taipei Sporting Goods Show. The show was only a few days long, but I stayed longer to hammer out some stuff for work.
April 30: STOMP came to Tucson's UA Presents. Pei and I got the cheap student ticket to see the show. It was a great event; it's amazing what they can do with just everyday items. I highly recommend going if it ever tours in your area.
May was another travel laden month.
May 2-3: In Raleigh, NC visiting a client with my dad. A quick in-and-out trip
May 4-5: Returned to Los Angeles and went house hunting with mom and dad.
May 6-20: Spent 2 weeks in Colorado Springs, Colorado for a Bicycle Mechanics Class at Barnett Bicycle Institute (BBI). I thought I was done with school, but this intense class reminded me of school. We were in class from 8am-5pm, then we had homework and reading to do after school. I try to do a bit of activity (like riding my bike) after school to keep me sane. I really learned a lot from BBI's class. If you plan on being a bicycle mechanic, I highly recommend this school. They are very thorough and methodical. I believe even if you already have quite a bit of experience, you'll still learn a lot by being methodical.
Morning snow in May
I sent my folding bike there as my local transportation because I flew there. It was such a great place/time to bicycle because the weather was perfect - a bit chilly in the morning but just right in the afternoon; the scenery was beautiful and traffic level was manageable. I really enjoyed my stay there. Even better, Pei came to visit me over the May 13-14 weekend so we spent it touring the area. The most amazing was Pike's Peak - an 14,000+ ft peak that you can *drive* up to the top, I am not kidding. The road up did not have guard rails so it was a bit scary to drive up because it often looks like the road just dropped off and disappears. Fortunately, the road is super wide. Check out the machines that stays there to clear the road:
Pikes Peak Equipments
Road on Pikes Peak
Top of Pikes Peak
We later hiked on a trail call Helen Hunt Falls, no, it's not named after the actress, but a 1800's writer/poet called Helen Hunt Jackson. It's a nice little hike from the water fall to a look-out.
Pei borrowed a bike from a very generous female classmate so we could go riding in the near-by Garden of the Gods. This park has wide shoulders - great for cycling and very photogenic. I actually rode through it several times myself because it's only 5 minute bike ride from where I stayed. I highly recommend visiting it.
Me in Garden of the Gods
We also visited the US Olympic Training Center Headquarters in downtown Colorado Springs. We got to view the state-of-the-art swimming pool (from the outside) and the wrestling training area. I wish I could have seen the Velodrome, but it wasn't on-site and I didn't know it existed. Maybe next time.
Olympic Training Center - Track racing
April 8-23: went back to Taiwan to attend the Taipei Sporting Goods Show. The show was only a few days long, but I stayed longer to hammer out some stuff for work.
April 30: STOMP came to Tucson's UA Presents. Pei and I got the cheap student ticket to see the show. It was a great event; it's amazing what they can do with just everyday items. I highly recommend going if it ever tours in your area.
May was another travel laden month.
May 2-3: In Raleigh, NC visiting a client with my dad. A quick in-and-out trip
May 4-5: Returned to Los Angeles and went house hunting with mom and dad.
May 6-20: Spent 2 weeks in Colorado Springs, Colorado for a Bicycle Mechanics Class at Barnett Bicycle Institute (BBI). I thought I was done with school, but this intense class reminded me of school. We were in class from 8am-5pm, then we had homework and reading to do after school. I try to do a bit of activity (like riding my bike) after school to keep me sane. I really learned a lot from BBI's class. If you plan on being a bicycle mechanic, I highly recommend this school. They are very thorough and methodical. I believe even if you already have quite a bit of experience, you'll still learn a lot by being methodical.
I sent my folding bike there as my local transportation because I flew there. It was such a great place/time to bicycle because the weather was perfect - a bit chilly in the morning but just right in the afternoon; the scenery was beautiful and traffic level was manageable. I really enjoyed my stay there. Even better, Pei came to visit me over the May 13-14 weekend so we spent it touring the area. The most amazing was Pike's Peak - an 14,000+ ft peak that you can *drive* up to the top, I am not kidding. The road up did not have guard rails so it was a bit scary to drive up because it often looks like the road just dropped off and disappears. Fortunately, the road is super wide. Check out the machines that stays there to clear the road:
We later hiked on a trail call Helen Hunt Falls, no, it's not named after the actress, but a 1800's writer/poet called Helen Hunt Jackson. It's a nice little hike from the water fall to a look-out.
Pei borrowed a bike from a very generous female classmate so we could go riding in the near-by Garden of the Gods. This park has wide shoulders - great for cycling and very photogenic. I actually rode through it several times myself because it's only 5 minute bike ride from where I stayed. I highly recommend visiting it.
We also visited the US Olympic Training Center Headquarters in downtown Colorado Springs. We got to view the state-of-the-art swimming pool (from the outside) and the wrestling training area. I wish I could have seen the Velodrome, but it wasn't on-site and I didn't know it existed. Maybe next time.
