pm

I ran three miles today...well, 2, then I walked about a third of a mile then fun don finished the third mile. it was raining, and I feel good!

morning

Today is my birthday. I covered a three mile loop yesterday afternoon. Walked 1, Ran 1, walked 1/2, ran 1/2. My legs and lungs are feeling pretty strong. I think pushing it to a straight two mile run without any rest is the next step.

p lunch

Ran 3 miles after lunch.

Feeling good.

Weight...who knows?

I made it home

the ride home on the bus tonight .... interesting. I planned to catch the bus right outside of work like the snow route said I would be able to, but instead I got to walk 6 blocks and catch a bus I never take. I waited for the bus 15 minutes past its scheduled arrival time. when it showed up I was so happy. then after I got on, the disaster struck. apparently seattle has no idea how to drive in the snow. it took 2 hours fifteen minutes to ride the bus 5 miles. in hindsight I should have just walked home. luckily the verizon droid x was loaded with movies to keep me entertained. the evening was an interesting experience.

Monday morning

It is snowing today, which is just fine with me. I love the stuff. The rest of the city seems to shut down though. It seems like everyone complains that "no one can handle the snow", but I've never actually met anyone who complains that they personally can't deal with snow. This leads me to believe that everybody thinks everyone else is a snow weakling, when in fact everybody is doing just fine.

I went running two days ago which felt great, of course. Then I didn't run yesterday, but I did go see the new Harry Potter movie, the deathly hallows. That was an okay movie. I didn't read the book and it seemed like the story line took some big leaps. This was verified by a friend of mine who thought anyone who hadn't read the book would be lost watching the movie. On a positive note, Hermione is looking good.

Weight today is 248.6 lbs. I think the week prior I was just eating too much and not staying hydratd. The weight loss feels like I've just gotten myself cleaned out and the glycogen stores in my liver have been adequately depleted. I had a bowl of Special K, original recipe, for breakfast and I have a banana and some almonds for a snack/lunch supplement. Our department has Monday meetings with pizza for free; hopefully I can stay strong. Maybe just one piece.

My bus to work was about 15 minutes late...I guess because of the snow. But even though snow was falling, there was no accumulation on the ground this morning, so I don't know what is wrong with the bus driver. I got to work on time, but I ended up getting off downtown and walking up Capitol Hill because the bus was on a snow route which has them avoid the steeper hills. I used to walk that hill last year and it was a nice look back. It's quite a workout. I just plotted it on toporoute (which is a poor man's mapmyride or mapmyrun) and it indicated the elevation gain is 220 feet...very nice.

AM

Awoke today after a strong 9 hours of sleep. I am feeling rested. I hopped on the scale right after getting up and saw 254 lbs staring back at me. I ate a lot yesterday, and the day before, etc etc.

I'm have not really dug into this weight loss/lifestyle change that well. But now it's serious.

dazy afternoon at work

Man, I feel tired. It's 3:45 PM and I'm sitting at work just finishing up some projects and I am ready to go to sleep. Yesterday morning I woke up at 2:30 AM and couldn't go back to sleep for some reason. So I figured I might as well make use of the time and decided to go for a a run. I ran 2 miles at 4AM. This was a very lonely run. I saw about 6 cars and zero people. I figured that 4AM woudln't be that early because lots of people have jobs and they would be getting in morning workouts...but there was no one else. Good run though. Then I went to work and felt like crap all day. Too much exertion too early? I'm not sure. Then around 2:30 I was super tired, but I was able to rally and finish out strong. I went to bed at 7:30 last night and still felt tired this morning. My plan is to go running tonight after work. I feel like I'm getting more toned with the running, though I have not lost any weight yet; though I haven't weighed myself in awhile so I'm actually have no idea where I'm at with my weight.

I've been taking the bus for a couple weeks now, and it is nice. It gives me some time to sit and recollect on my life and plan out my day. I can also read or just listen to music. The Motorola Droid X on my verizon account is absolutely money. The Pandora music app is indispensable and I highly recommend it for people who have minimal music collections and broad muiscal taste.

sunday evening

today I woke up early after getting much less sleep due to working the nightshift last night. I had a bowl of honey nut cheerios for breakfast. went on an date with my GF at todo mexico in edmonds which was tasty, but I ate too much. got home after running errands in the afternoon and went on a 2 mile run with the GF. we're planning on running the jingle bell run in december. it's a 5k run in the middle of winter...should be fun.

I'm feeling in better shape with my runs, and I think it's time to step up the distance, maybe 3 miles. work tomorrow so I'm going to bed early tonight.

late

It's way past my bedtime. Briefly:

Woke up
Ate breakfast, too much.
Mountain Bike ride...sweetness.
Came home, had lunch.
Snacked.
Avoided dinner because my snack basically took care of dinner.
Ate more.
Ran 2 miles in the rain.
Stayed up too late.
Made this blog post.
Going to bed.

PS. The ads on my blog are frequently for restaurant coupons or cupcake shops. What gives?

G'night.

AM

I just got to work. Took the bus today which was an easy 30 minute ride. I find that taking the earlier bus makes for a lot of free time in the morning that I spend wasting on the internet, but the bus I ride is much less crowded.

I didn't run last night. I got home and the GF had a lot of homework left to do which left me with other responsibilities. Also it was raining, and the weather in Seattle is turning cold. Plus daylight savings time ended a few days ago so now the early evenings are pitch black. I live in a world of frustrating circumstances.

We are thinking about going to a drop in Aikido class tonight. Maybe we'll just go to the gym. I definitely need to get a workout in.

For breakfast I had a bowl of honey nut cheerios. Last night we had spinach spahgetti which was pretty good. Then I had a big evening snack. It's strange, I don't remember myself being a big snacker after dinner. I've just started noticing in since writing this blog. So either this blog is making me eat at night, or I've always done this and just never realized it. Scary thought.

Lazy afternoon

Last night, the GF, Mike, and I went on a 3 mile walk which is just what I needed. Then we had some mac and cheese with tofu dogs for dinner. For an evening snack I had some hummus, straight from the container. Damn, that stuff is good. This AM, I was feeling very full from the hummus I ate the night before, so I decided to only have an apple from breakfast.

Then I got on the bus for my commute into work. On Tuesdays I work at a site further from my home that any other day of the week. This means I get to take two different buses with a transfer in between. Total time in commute (walking+ bus+transfer+bus+walking): approximately 1 hour. Not too bad. When I got to work there was a pervasive smell of diesel exhaust floating through the building. It gave me a big headache. Then the apple only breakfast started feeling very uncomfortable in my gut and I was on the verge of throwing up. Sick I know. So I went to the nearby convenience store and bought some orange juice and a 3 musketeers bar. That settled my stomach right down, and the headache drifted away too. For lunch I had some non-fat cheese, mayo, mustard in 2 low carb tortilla shells. I also had an apple and a bunch of grapes. I then went back to the convenience store and bought a medium sized container of whoppers candy and at those, too (yet again breaking my no candy rule...it's becoming more of a guideline isn't it?).

Plan for tonight is to finish up work and see if I can bum a ride home from one of my coworkds. If not I'll be back on the bus. I think I'm going to run 1 or 2 miles tonight. I feel the need to get my heart rate back up. And since I only walked last night I didn't get the chance to test out my new shoes. Oh, I'm excited about the new shoes.

Just after lunch

Weigh in this AM: 253.6 lbs.

I had egg whites and potatoes for dinner last night. It felt like a healthy dinner. Then I had about 4 beers; to celebrate the end of the weekend, I guess. I then got a craving for chili and ate two cans of low fat chili. I don't even want to think about the extra calories this added on top of the beer. Today, it seems like a pretty big mistake. Of course while dieting I should not be drinking, both because of the extra calories and because it makes me hungry.

This morning I had a bowl of Life cereal and a low carb yogurt. Then I took the bus to work; it has been awhile. I took the 7:35 bus, which is packed. I think I'm going to start taking the earlier bus because it usually has fewer riders. The ride took about 45 minutes, and I do not have to pay for parking, woohoo!

For lunch today I had grapes, an apple, a thinwich with cheddar cheese and hummus. I also got an energy drink and chocolate covered pretzels from the store. The energy drink has 30 calories, and the pretzels have 650 calories. That seems like a poor choice and probably falls under my 'don't buy candy' rule.

It looks like it's going to be a slow afternoon, then I'll ride the bus home. My plan is to get in a 1 or 2 mile run this evening; I want to try out my new (but same old model) running shoes. I'm excited to feel the difference between my old and busted and my new and beautiful shoes.

PM

Today was a fairly good day. Mike decided to lounge around this AM, but I decided to do a stair workout anyways. I ended up walking a 3 mile loop and then getting my heart rate up with the stairs. For lunch I had a bunch of grapes and a thinwich with hummus and a slice of cheddar cheese. While out running errands, I picked up a 25 cent mounds bar which was tasty. Then I went to the Brooks Outlet and picked up some new shoes.

I have always had difficulty buying "fancy" running shoes. In fact, the best shoes have always been New Balance trail running shoes. I do much better with very firm shoes. Regular running shoes are just not built for guys my size. When I run with a typical shoe, it is much to squishy which is hell on my feet, ankle, calves, and knees. I remember once looking up shoes designed specifically for big runners and I found that these shoes are rated for runner 150lbs+. At first I thought this was a joke, because 150lbs is not heavy (not to any normal person anyways). I soon realized that using trail running shoes gave me the support I needed. Then about 2 years ago, I was at a store called The Runner's Soul in Spokane, WA. They pointed me towards a pair of beefy running shoes (that actually look more like beefy cross trainers) made by a company called Brooks. The model was called the Beast. And they have been..THE..BEST...SHOE...EVER. As a big runner, I love this shoe. The problem is the cost, about $130, which I think they are well worth. But as a broke student/professional, that is a lot of money. So I was happy when I went to the Brooks Outlet today and picked up a new pair for $100.

Plan to continue running happily in my comfortable shoes. Dinner tonight is two egg whites, potato hash browns with ketchup. And a couple beers. Getting my mind right for work tomorrow.

AM

Last night was a relaxing night in with the GF. We had some vegetable stir fry with bits of boca burger for some more flavor. It was good. For an evening snack I had a low carb tortilla with hummus and a piece of cheese.

This AM my plan is to go run a couple of miles vs running some stairs. Not sure which yet. I'll have to see if my buddy Mike is up for some exercise; if so we'll hit the stairs because he does not like to run.

I had a bowl of honey nut cheerios for breakfast + one cup of coffee (so far).

Weigh in today: 251.8 lbs (I'm feeling more hydrated).

Also: on my trip to costco yesterday I picked up a Droid X, which was completely an impulse buy. But I'm finding that I love it just as I had planned. I finally feel complete, ahhhhhh.

early evening

I had a cheese sandwich for lunch with mayo. Then I went to costco to get some groceries. Came home had some grapes and hummus on a thinwich for a snack. I just got back from a two mile run in the rain and I'm feeling pretty good.

AM

Weigh in this morning: 251.2 lbs

I don't think I lost 3 lbs of fat/muscle over 24 hours. I am dehydrated and have less food in my gut. Last night before bed I had a piece of bread + about 8 pretzels + a slice of cheddar cheese. For breakfast this morning I had a bowl of honey nut cheerios.

The plan was to go for a mountain bike ride today, but my friends are either wussing out (having breakfast with GF's parents) or they have to pull a night shift and a ride doesn't mesh with their schedule. I may go on my own. If not, the plan is to go for a run despite the rain.

PM

The rest of the day went pretty well. My afternoon at work was very busy and I had to bring some stuff home with me, but that's becoming more typical on Friday nights. I made the walk home through a light drizzle. My umbrella in Seattle is money, but it makes me look like a tourist. For dinner I had some potato/bean/mushroom stew with a little mayo mixed in (for fat and salt...I'm such a glutton). I also had a banana bread muffin my GF made which were quite tasty. No workout tonight; I can justify this by saying it is a good rest day after two days of running.

I've been thinking again about getting a smart phone. On top of my list are the Samsung fascinate and the Motorola droid X. I'm having a hard time justifying the $30 data plan with Verizon. I think I could use the email/web features; and the mapmyrun/ride app looks promising. We'll see what happens for Christmas.

Not the healthiest lunch:
1. Medium serving size of pasta with cheese sauce. I estimate this is 500 calories, but who knows.
2. Candy, 525 calories, all sugar, per the packaging. (this was probably a bad idea).
3. Two energy drinks, 20 calories each.

Good learning moment; don't buy candy. I should probably start making my own lunches.

Also, I know the title of this blog is "PNWC", and my initial intent was to document my commutes, what happened, challenges etc, and I have not really done that at all. This is partly due to the fact that I started this blog right after a broken pelvis and was off work x 6 weeks. Then when I went back to work, I was on crutches and taking it very easy so I was driving everyday (and who wants to read about some guy driving his car to work). Then I fell into this very comfortable routine of driving everyday, despite my enjoyment of commuting by bus, cycling, or walking to work. Anyhow...that's about to change. It will change for two reasons:
1. I was reading that people who use mass transit are more physically active than drivers because of walking and standing while getting to bus stops, train stations, etc. And that in the first year from switching to driving from being a mass transit commuter, the average person puts on 8 pounds. So, switching to mass transit from driving seems like a reasonable, and possibly effective, intervention to take for my weight loss. Plus I like mass transit for the free time to read and catch up on studying it provides.
2. I was in a car accident a week ago and my car has been totalled. The other driver was at fault, and he has been very cooperative. The insurance company has been reasonable to deal with so far...but getting my check for the totaled car and converting that into another functioning vehicle may take some time. And I'm not in a rush to do this.

So we'll see about packing lunches and taking the bus, and I will hopefully produce some posts that are more aligned with the blog title.

For breakfast today I had a small bowl of Special K Protein Plus. I like it more than regular Special K; it tastes more like Total. I then walked to work, and I am now diligently earning my paycheck!

I got woken up around 4:30 this morning by a little munchkin wanting to watch cartoons. I have to say this was an unpleasant change from my typical schedule of not waking up at 4:30. I ended up getting another hour, or so, of sleep before finally convincing myself to get out of bed.

I hopped on the scale today, figuratively.
Starting Weight: 254.2 lbs

The results were not pleasing, but also not surprising. My expectation was somewhere around 250 to 251. I knew my weight was slowly creeping up. And my clothes have been feeling tighter over the last month and a half. So that explains it.

My goal weight is currently 220 lbs; 34.2 lbs away. Per BMI, I should actually be around 205 to be normal and not overweight, but I have a pretty big frame so I think 220 would be a good weight. I may have to change this goal once I get 220 and take an honest look at my body.

Plans for today: walking to work, which is 1.5 miles away, and walking home from work. Tentatively plans to either run a mile or two this evening, or go to the gym for some cardio + weights.

My friend Mike and I walked another 3 miles tonight. Nice work. But I've also been eating a bunch of junk that is laying around the house. Tomorrow the plan is to keep what I eat under control. Maybe I need to look into a more specific eating plan.

I am going to make my first weigh in tomorrow morning.

I'm feeling pretty confident and inspired so far with the lifestyle change. I hope to keep it going.

Last night I ran two miles and felt pretty good. This morning I ran/walked a total of 3.5 miles, running about 1.5 of that distance. My legs feel rubbery, but good.

Losing fat

Well, weight loss is a goal of mine. Like everyone else, I enjoy being in good shape and having my clothes fit me appropriately. My recent weight gain/loss has seen me put on about 18 pounds in the last year. Prior to this I had lost 20 pounds over the course of 6 months with a combination of walking, hitting the gym, and stress from starting a new job. I have fallen into a comfortable pattern of minimal workouts and long days at work. I've started eating unhealthy types and quantities of food, and my weight has responded expectedly. I was reading another blog today and found insight in the following quote (which is very obvious, but not so simple for me apparently): "Weight loss is a goal. You get there one pound at a time. Maintaining your weight is a lifestyle. You stay there with determination, one day at a time."

I'm going to work this theme into my meditation hoping to keep it at the forefront of consciousness for awhile.

Back to work....workout that is

I've actually been back to work for a number of months. Over the last 3 months, however, I've seen my duties shift significantly and my time at the office has increased. I'm spending more time there as I get settled into my new responsibilities. This "wasted" time, in my opinion, has really cut into my workouts and bike riding. I actually haven't been bike commuting to work at all because of the stress of my new duties.

The plan is this: I'm going to start working out in the mornings at 24 hour fitness. The bottom line is that I can't let my work get in the way of my physical health. I think this is non-negotiable.

Back to work, sore muscles, trance

I started back to work about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I'm driving my dad's old Kia Optima that has quite literally been beaten to crap. But it is a stick shift, which I love to drive, and because it looks so rough I don't have to worry about anyone breaking into it (I also worry less because it's a Kia Optima). I would love to cycle to work, but I'm taking it slow. I'd hate to have another fall and re-injure my pelvis. That would be an awkward conversation with the orthopaedic surgeon. Though the surgeon would probably be happy ("Fantastic, your injuries are severe enough that we get to cut you open now.")

On the sadder side of things, the physical therapist started kicking my butt since I auto discontinued my crutches a few days ago. I guess it means I'll be back in shape faster. Notably, I did some calf raises during the last session, which was 2 days ago, and my calves are incredibly tight. In typical fashion, after I do calf raises the muscles feel fine the next day, but over days 2-4 intense muscle contractions and pain set in. I have solace that this torture will be over soon.

In lighter news, I went to a trance concert last night with a couple of co-workers. It's not a musical genre I have ever followed, but I like to dance. And the trance music I previewed on myspace had solid bass and drum beats, suggesting I was in for a good night dancing. I also learned that Trance is essentially music a "DJ" premixes and then somehow adds to during the concert (I'm guessing he adds various scritching, or scratching of turntables, and also screwing with the treble, bass, and volume). The artist's name was Tiesto. For those not aware, Tiesto is not just some DJ laying down awesome beats on the drum machine. He is THE NUMBER ONE DJ IN THE WORLD. How they figure out who the number one DJ in the world is baffles me. But he puts on a good show; Tiesto, is one spin-master (meister?). Though I think his greatest feat may be convincing people to pay $45 per ticket to watch him touch his headphones and adjust knobs on a mixing rack while pre-recorded music blasts out of the speakers. Regardless, a good time was had by all. Unfortunately my calves may be the worse for wear.

No new cell phone yet.

The Nexus One isn't for sale on Verizon yet.

In brighter news my daughter has a pajama party at school today that should be super fun. And I get to miss it for a doctors appointment to see how my pelvic fracture is healing. I may be off crutches and onto a much less conspicuous cane in a few short hours.

The real question that comes from all this is: what kind of cane should I get? The options:
1. the silver aluminum with gray, rubber bottom cane.
2. the old school, basic one piece wood cane.
3. Pimp Cane.

Not an easy decision. We'll have to see what they cost.

Nexus One

With all the time, I almost forgot that I'm due for a cell phone upgrade soon. I have the fantastic service of Verizon Wireless which gives me great voice coverage nearly anywhere I go. Admittedly the internet speed is slower than AT&T's, but if it's still darn good, and if I need to call someone it's not a problem...unlike AT&T which is actually super spotty.

So I've been reading about the Nexus One. A phone from google that was released for T-mobile and unofficially for AT&T if you buy the unlocked version without a contract. It is being touted as a possible iPhone killer. But whatever, I just want a solid smart phone that looks good, does the job, and is fairly easy to use. And of course it needs to be on verizon's network. It's rumored that the Nexus One will be released for Verizon on March 23rd, 2010. I've been lazily checking the Nexus One website (the only place to purchase the phone as of yet) and it hasn't "dropped". It's 9:25 in Seattle, 12:15 AM on the east coast, so I was hoping to see the website change so I could get my new phone. No such luck yet.

Tuesday

Without daily obligations I've found it challenging to maintain my sense of day discrimination. Everyday is really the same to me now. The weekends are just days when my friends with real jobs have free time to hang out with me. Other than that, my days are running together.

I made it to the Gym tonight. My four year old daughter, Reilly, went to Kids Club; she loves going to "gym school" while I workout.

On our way home from the gym she must have been feeling somewhat saucy from her time at Kids Club, because she accused me of being an economic moderate. So I made her carry my backpack up to our 4th floor apartment.



Here she is in our living room after the punishment; she maintains a positive attitude just to spite me.



I was at the store earlier today buying Monster Energy Drinks and Microwave popcorn when I noticed this. Maybe old news to some:



That's right, it's J & D's brand Bacon Pop, bacon flavored popcorn. I was intrigued. How did they get the pigs inside the corn kernel before popping? Is PETA aware? There was no time for such questions as I further perused the box and found this:



As a lover of Bacon and Mayonnaise, and also Salt, I was further intrigued. I was unfortunately on my crutches and in no shape to take off on any delicious scavenger hunts. So I settled for my Orville Redenbacher's 94% fat free kettle corn and hit the check out line. Baconnaise will haunt my dreams.

Digicam

I picked up the Canon SD780 a couple days ago and I've taken a bunch of pics with it. It is a nice little camera for what I want it for. The pic to the left is from our recent trip to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. The one below is from a recent Seattle Sounder preseason MLS game.





It's a solid point and shoot and fits right into my pocket without any hassle.


As this is a "commuter blog", about my commuting by bike, bus, car, etc...I thought it would be appropriate to include a bit about my mode of conveyance. As I've mentioned before, I'm stuck at home with a pelvic fracture, and I've been off work for about a month, so I haven't been commuting at all. My car, though, is acting up. It's a 2002 mercury sable, idling rough, but not stalling out. The check engine light came on about 1 week ago. I'm headed to Oreilly auto parts later today to borrow a code reader and see if it's something simple I can fix. We shall see...

Digital Camera

I've had a lot of free time because I'm off work with this broken pelvis. Let me tell you, I have found insane ways to waste time. Such as reading about digital cameras online. If I have an afternoon to waste, I can read about digital cameras and BOOM 3 hours gone, just like that.

Anyhow...I've been reading a lot. I also went to Best Buy, Radioshack, a local store called Talls Cameras, Costco, and Target checking out cameras. The easiest thing to do when looking at cameras and reading online reviews is to get caught up in the minutiae. When I set out, I was pretty sure I wanted a Canon because I've been impressed when using Canons owned by friends. Canon also has a pretty good reputation for making quality cameras. Quality is actually on the top of my list, though it would be nice to save some money, I want a camera that is going to last. Of all the cameras I've seen, the Canons appear to be far and away the most sturdily built. I've been impressed with some Panasonic and Nikon models as far as picture quality and features go, but they all seem so shoddily built it is astounding.

The reason I am even in the market for a new camera is because my previous Nikon s550 bit the bullet. The lens would stop opening on startup and the camera would give a "Lens Error" message; the camera became non-functional. This was on a 2 year old camera that has been treated well. I'm hoping that buying quality from the outset will help avoid this problem.

So I've been looking at a few of the Canon point and shoots, specifically the s90, sd3500, sd1400, and sd780. Despite the price range of $180 to $430, the reviews for the cameras individually are remarkably similar. When reading reviews in general, you have the basic users who have only owned basic cameras; these folks love whatever they bought because it is fancier than their previous camera. Then there is the subset of people who are camera savvy and understand the limitations of buying a point and shoot camera; these folks seemed to write the most reasonable reviews, factoring in value and function to provide an overall summary of the camera's quality. Then another subset of folks who are camera savvy and are shocked that the $180 point and shoot had fewer picture setting controls and produced inferior pictures to their $800 DSLR; these folks tended to give the $400 camera 1 star reviews.

In all my research, I've learned something new (actually I think I read about this a couple of years ago, but I just didn't care too much about it at the time). This is old news to serious digital camera users. What I learned is called the "Megapixel Myth." Generally, folks perceive a digital camera's megapixels as the measure of quality (along with Zoom, LCD size, and various other features, but generally the number of megapixels is the poor man's way of judging a camera's value). I've learned that this is highly inaccurate. The bottom line for judging a camera's value is really the quality of image it produces. And it turns out the increasing megapixels does not necessarily increase image quality. The issue ends up being more related to the size of sensor onto which the pixels are mounted.

-For Example: a camera with 14 MP on a 1 inch sensor, where the pixels are not crowded or decreased in size to allow 14MP to fit, will often produce a better image than a camera with 18 MP on the same size sensor.

So when comparing cameras, megapixels have really become obsolete. The specification to look at is really sensor size; which unfortunately is not often listed on manufacturer websites. The manufacturers are apparently more interested in perpetuating the "Megapixel Myth" and increasing sales than giving useful data. This last bit is probably really because the public has gotten so used to linking megapixel count with quality. It would be economic suicide to develop cameras with better sensors and lower pixel counts and expect the public to realize that these cameras produce better images. It would be suicide to do it suddenly anyhow, it seems that the industry is slowly drifting away from megapixels as evidenced by Canon's G11: it's a 10 MP top of the line point and shoot which sells for $500.

As I was saying, when reading about digital cameras it is easy to get caught up in the minutiae. For instance, I was seriously looking at the Canon s90, which is expensive at $430. It has a large image sensor and lots of image setting adjustments for high end camera users. It really looked like a sweet camera...and I wanted it. I had to take a step back, however, and drift back to reality. The real reason I want to get a camera is to be able to have something in my pocket to take basic pictures. The s90 would fit the bill, but so would all the other cameras I've listed above, and those at half the price. The other issue is that as cameras get more expensive, they get minimally larger. So the camera at $180 is super tiny, while the s90 at $430 actually gets to the point where it would likely be uncomfortable to just throw into a pocket and go (unless I was wearing cargo pants). So this just defeats the purpose. The other issue is that this camera is going to be going everywhere, it might get bumped, dropped, or even absolutely destroyed. I do not want to spend $430 on a camera that is too big and might get busted. Another thought about these cameras is that in general, with good lighting, the cheap camera will take picture that rivals the picture from the expensive camera. I can't justify spending twice the cash to have the camera with the fancy features that will take some pictures better sometimes. The s90 did look sweet though.

So from the the list of cameras above, the only striking difference that matters to me is the image sensor size. And the only camera with the larger image sensor it the s90. I've ruled that camera out (unfortunately). The rest of the cameras have very slight differences in MP, zoom, lens angle, and picture adjustment options. And all the Canons appear solidly built and have good reviews online regarding build quality.

So in the end (as it usually does), the debate has come down to price. The sd780 is only $180 at Costco, and they throw in a 2GB SD card which save me 10 bucks. I'm going to pick one up tomorrow.

...

Laying in bed looking at digital cameras online. It's cold today. I woke up and the temp inside our house is 60 F.

Soccer practice is coming up at 10:00.

As far as cameras, I'm planning on buying a Canon point and shoot. I'm going for a point and shoot over an SLR partly for cost, but mostly because I need something with a smaller form factor that I can easily put in a pocket. I've never owned a Canon myself, but I've used Canons that friends and family have, and I've been generally impressed. They certainly seem to perform better than the Nikon, Samsung, and Casio digital cameras I've had in the past.

In the running:

1. Powershot SD 3500 IS
2. Powershot SD 970 IS
3. Powershot SD 1400 IS
4. Powershot SD 780 IS

**In the midst of writing this post, I've gotten word from my orthopedist that I can return to work on crutches as long as I continue to keep weight off my left leg. This is happy news as I've been home for the last 4 weeks. Let me tell you, that is getting old.**

To sum up, I don't have enough info about the digital cameras yet. Once I get it all figured out I'll let you know and get some pics up on the site. I've got a $60 gift card to Best Buy or Amazon.com, so that will likely be where I pick up the camera. We'll see.

First Post

Hi!

I'm a bike, bus, and auto commuter in Seattle right now. I'm currently out of commission for a bit because of a nasty fall from my bicycle that gave me a pelvic fracture. I prefer to bike or bus to work. My job has me commuting to three different locations within Seattle depending on job requirements. I'm starting this blog to share my thoughts, photos, and adventures (should they arise) as I make my way commuting to and from work. And anything else is of course fair game.

Step 1: I need to buy a digital camera so I can take some pictures.
Step 2: Heal up, dammit!