I like making things. I like making things that I've never made before. I also like projects that I don't need help with. Why? Because if something screws up, I can fix it on my own terms, and I don't have to worry about someone else's expectations. It seems like every time I get involved in a multi-person project, something gets messed up, and the whole thing is ruined just because an outside party didn't hold their end up, or didn't follow through, or in some cases never got involved like I thought they would.
Why is it that humans are so notoriously unreliable? I guess we all know the answer to that question. It was mostly rhetorical anyway.
I feel like I do a good job at most everything I do. I just want others to do the same!
-Gabriel
Friday, August 6, 2010
Monday, July 27, 2009
Last night in Wyoming!
The past few days I've spent in Wyoming have been much more pleasant than the last time I was in the state.
Last time I was in Wyoming, it was winter. There was snow everywhere. My brothers and I were driving a convertible LaBaron, pulling a small trailer. The interstate was closed, but they wouldn't let us turn around to find another route. We waited on the side of the interstate for nearly 2 and a half hours for road crews to plow the road. When they finally opened the road again, they had only plowed one lane. So, we drove in that lane, and the semis drove at 70 MPH in the unplowed lane, throwing mud and slush up onto our windshield. We tried to wipe it away, but it would only smear, making visibility even worse. So we tried windshield washer fluid. It was frozen. One time, when the mud and slush was so thick and smeared on our windshield, and the snow was really coming down hard, we were driving along and suddenly there was a stopped vehicle ahead of us. We couldn't stop, so we had to jump over into the unplowed lane. As luck would have it, there just happened to be a semi going over the speed limit in the lane we had just pulled into. As luck would further have it, there was another vehicle ahead of us. We slammed on the breaks, knowing that there was no way we could stop in time, or that the semi could stop in time. Somehow, (and I'm not exactly sure how) we didn't get hit or hit anyone. Not a pleasant experience.
Anyway, the worst thing I've had to deal with on this bike trip in Wyoming is the number of hills.
Thanks for reading!
-Gabriel
Last time I was in Wyoming, it was winter. There was snow everywhere. My brothers and I were driving a convertible LaBaron, pulling a small trailer. The interstate was closed, but they wouldn't let us turn around to find another route. We waited on the side of the interstate for nearly 2 and a half hours for road crews to plow the road. When they finally opened the road again, they had only plowed one lane. So, we drove in that lane, and the semis drove at 70 MPH in the unplowed lane, throwing mud and slush up onto our windshield. We tried to wipe it away, but it would only smear, making visibility even worse. So we tried windshield washer fluid. It was frozen. One time, when the mud and slush was so thick and smeared on our windshield, and the snow was really coming down hard, we were driving along and suddenly there was a stopped vehicle ahead of us. We couldn't stop, so we had to jump over into the unplowed lane. As luck would have it, there just happened to be a semi going over the speed limit in the lane we had just pulled into. As luck would further have it, there was another vehicle ahead of us. We slammed on the breaks, knowing that there was no way we could stop in time, or that the semi could stop in time. Somehow, (and I'm not exactly sure how) we didn't get hit or hit anyone. Not a pleasant experience.
Anyway, the worst thing I've had to deal with on this bike trip in Wyoming is the number of hills.
Thanks for reading!
-Gabriel
Friday, July 24, 2009
Finally updated!
Alright, I know I haven't updated this since my second day, but give me a break! I've been biking all day, everyday for 25 days.
That excludes rest days.
Today, Friday, July 24th is the 26th day of my trip. It is currently a rest day. I am in Rapid City, South Dakota, and am pretty interested in seeing Mount Rushmore's evening lighting ceremony. I have seen Rushmore a couple of times before. Once during the day, and once during the night. I have never seen the lighting ceremony, however. Every time I see it I think 'Man! I should make something like that!' Unfortunately, even though I think I'm pretty good at coming through with whatever I set out to do, no one would believe that I could do something like that. I guess I'll just have to do it all by myself... :)
Tomorrow I bike to New Castle, Wyoming. It's about 78 miles, and my route goes right past Mt. Rushmore, so I should have a lovely (Albeit difficult) ride out of South Dakota. It's hard to believe I've been in this state for 5 days already! That won't be anything compared to the 8 days spent in Montana I'm sure!
Anyway, until next time!
-Gabriel
Ps. I'm going to try to keep this thing updated better, and hopefully start uploading photos as well!
That excludes rest days.
Today, Friday, July 24th is the 26th day of my trip. It is currently a rest day. I am in Rapid City, South Dakota, and am pretty interested in seeing Mount Rushmore's evening lighting ceremony. I have seen Rushmore a couple of times before. Once during the day, and once during the night. I have never seen the lighting ceremony, however. Every time I see it I think 'Man! I should make something like that!' Unfortunately, even though I think I'm pretty good at coming through with whatever I set out to do, no one would believe that I could do something like that. I guess I'll just have to do it all by myself... :)
Tomorrow I bike to New Castle, Wyoming. It's about 78 miles, and my route goes right past Mt. Rushmore, so I should have a lovely (Albeit difficult) ride out of South Dakota. It's hard to believe I've been in this state for 5 days already! That won't be anything compared to the 8 days spent in Montana I'm sure!
Anyway, until next time!
-Gabriel
Ps. I'm going to try to keep this thing updated better, and hopefully start uploading photos as well!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Second day finished.
I am sitting in my hotel room in Farmville, Virginia after sitting with my legs in ice water for 15 minutes, napping, and then taking a luke-warm shower. I biked about 72 miles today, through the back country roads. It was very very nice ride! Everything was beautiful. Farms, woodlands, plains, fields of corn, and very few dogs chasing me! It was too good to last however, for I came upon a gravel road that I was not expecting, and couldn't ride on it because I put street tires on my bike. After I went through the hubub of putting my bike in the back of a Toyota Camry, I drove on a couple of miles until I found pavement again. I got my bike out, put the front wheel back on, biked around and the corner, and..... More gravel. Oh well.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll have more to share in my video blog in the next few days. Thanks for reading!
-Gabriel
Anyway, I'm sure I'll have more to share in my video blog in the next few days. Thanks for reading!
-Gabriel
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Training continues!
Today I am going to try to bike 40 miles. The day before yesterday I biked 33.7 miles fairly comfortably, excluding the immense heat of course. After that I intend on going to more restaurants and asking for gift card donations to pay for my food on the trip.
Thanks so much to everyone who has sponsored me so far!
Thanks so much to everyone who has sponsored me so far!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Wooden horses and LEDs
Alrighty.
These I made a while back, but I figured they would be interesting pieces.
The first here was an attempt to create a pine chess set. I never finished of course, but here's one of the three pieces I made. I lost the others.
I first sketched the profile of the horse on a piece of paper, then traced it onto the wood.
I then cut out the basic shape with a band-saw, and rounded everything with a Dremel tool.
Pretty fun... :)
Anyways, this one here is a stage lighting project that is top secret.
The only thing I'm telling is that it's made from LEDs, and is awesome.
There are 198 LEDs to be exact. Each putting out about 2000 MCDs. So it comes out to about 400 Candelas. Not extremely bright, but bright enough.
Here's the pictures:
Anyways.
Thanks for reading!
-Gabe
These I made a while back, but I figured they would be interesting pieces.
The first here was an attempt to create a pine chess set. I never finished of course, but here's one of the three pieces I made. I lost the others.
I first sketched the profile of the horse on a piece of paper, then traced it onto the wood.
I then cut out the basic shape with a band-saw, and rounded everything with a Dremel tool.
Pretty fun... :)
Anyways, this one here is a stage lighting project that is top secret.
The only thing I'm telling is that it's made from LEDs, and is awesome.
There are 198 LEDs to be exact. Each putting out about 2000 MCDs. So it comes out to about 400 Candelas. Not extremely bright, but bright enough.
Here's the pictures:
Anyways.
Thanks for reading!
-Gabe
Monday, June 4, 2007
Blue Keyboards and PVC Pan Flutes.
Alrighty,
I thought this was an excellent idea. I found this keyboard in the dumpster, and it worked. So I painted it.
Anyways, I'm going to start using it for shows, playing both it and drums at the same time.
And for the second (and by me, less impressive) project. The PVC pan flute.
It's made from 1/2" PVC tied together with standard hemp.
I tuned it to the key of C, but after adding the end caps, the pitch lower by about a half step.
Anyways, loads of fun. :)
-Gabriel
I thought this was an excellent idea. I found this keyboard in the dumpster, and it worked. So I painted it.
Anyways, I'm going to start using it for shows, playing both it and drums at the same time.
And for the second (and by me, less impressive) project. The PVC pan flute.
It's made from 1/2" PVC tied together with standard hemp.I tuned it to the key of C, but after adding the end caps, the pitch lower by about a half step.
Anyways, loads of fun. :)
-Gabriel
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