Just last week, my dad and I went to Portland, Maine. It was just a quick getaway, from Saturday, Sep 3 to Saturday, Sep 10, but it also marked his first real trip without mom being along. There was no real agenda outside of eating some great seafood and spending some time walking the harbor and maybe seeing a lighthouse or two.
I will post all the photos at the bottom of this story, there are a lot.
Finally approved, I am heading on 2 different trips coming up in August and September. In August (3-7) I will be heading up to Indianapolis, IN for the annual GenCon Indy event. This will mark 11 years for a couple of us, and 10 of others. It is 4.5 days of gamer heaven with events 24 hours a day starting Wednesday afternoon. As we plan on being there around 1pm or so (depending on schedules) we will have an epic week. Then, in September, dad and I are heading to Portland, Maine from the 3rd to the 10th. Other than some great seafood and a trip down to Glouster, MA for whale watching, we will have plenty of time to see a lot of stuff in that area of the country, and I will be able to knock a few more of the remaining states off my list. Gonna be some good times coming up! Now, just have to get some things planned out for Portland.
This weekend I went up to a small lake in north eastern Indiana called Adams Lake just outside of Wolcottville, IN. It is a place my family knows well, as my mom basically grew up there in the summers as a child. For my sister and I, it is our 4th of July destination for as long as I can remember. I haven’t been since 2007, so this is a big one for me, and I know a lot has changed. My sister, her husband and 2 daughters and my dad and I are all going in the same van. Yay for an iPad stacked with movies and good headphones.
Damn, Illinois, you have nothing outside of Chicago but empty farmland! I rode through a good portion of IL during my Moonshine Lunch Run ride and there is nothing out there. It is a lot like Kansas where you have nothing but farmland forever. That, and tiny dying towns popping up on the road and disappearing in the mirror offering nothing to a passing traveler. In most cases, not even a dour local looking on suspiciously as you coast through. It felt like a post-apocalyptic landscape and I expected a hoard of zombies around each bend in the road. Thing is, there would not be enough people in the area to even constitute a hoard… It might be IL, but I bet those farmers out there are armed to the teeth.
All my motorcycle posts are being moved to a new blog site so I can clean them up and make a full Road Report site. Something and somewhere to share my experiences and trips with those who are interested and like minded. The Motorcycle posts here will be deleted once they have been moved and verified on the new site. So, without any further delay, here is the link to the new site.
The Adventures of The Raven: https://theravenbran.wordpress.com
Indianapolis, Indiana. August 13-17, 2014. Yep, we went up the day before. And the day before is quickly becoming Day 1.
Too much fun, yet again. Save up all year for hotel, events and splurging on huge meals and epic beer. I have been coming up here since 2005/2006, but only for a day each. Tim and I have been staying since 2007 and finally everyone else since 2008. It is one of the best weeks of the year, and a time I schedule around. For as long as we are able, and the event stays in Indianapolis, we will continue to go. Hell, we are already planning for next year.
Yep, it is getting to be that time again. Spring is turning into summer way too quickly, yet again. In just a few short weeks my “busy” season starts. This coming weekend is the start to Derby Week here in Louisville, KY. Events every day leading up to the running of the Kentucky Derby. Followed by a weekend off, then a Cabin Weekend (those who know, know) and then a weekend off and then Memorial Day weekend. Continue reading
I did a short writeup of my small go case for computing, now here is the large go case for computing. This will be short, as I have not had a chance to really put it to use yet. I bought this on faith that it would fit my MBP. Everything about this case was mobility for me and being able to take my full kit with me, both my still camera kit and my video cameras (GoPro and a small Sony.) I was also able to include my whole iPad kit in TwelveSouth’s Book Book. It is probably going to be my last case. I cannot wait until my next trip to really put it to use. I would recommend this to anyone who needs a good really throw-around travel case. And It will be very TSA friendly, since everything is easily accessible and fully protected. This is typical of every Pelican case I have ever used. More info and photo after break.
Now, this is not to be confused with a bug-out bag. A bug-out bag would require a whole blog of its own to manage, as this is a well-covered topic among the survivalists and preppers. No, I am not going to tackle that topic. Yet. I will cover my light, grab and go bag for computing. It is basically my iPad (3) and supporting add-ons.
I have added some stuff to the house to help me monitor it while away. I put in a blog a while back about the NetAtmo weather monitoring device. On top of that I have some cameras set up in various locations to watch the exterior of the house. I have two looking out the front, and 1 looking out the back. I also have a camera set up to monitor my garage – mostly because I hate turning around and going home to check if the door shut… I have also added a security system that uses my phone as the monitoring company. This and my Belkin WeMos already in place and set up and there are only a few pieces to get to have my house the way I want it.
Extra Thoughts 