For the past couple of weeks I've felt a need for a new laptop. Mine has been getting slower and slower, especially with my big graphics programs. It's taking longer to boot, even my email has delay on opening new messages, replying etc. It's clearly aging and very full. Said laptop is over 4.5 years old and it works hard - often on for 16hrs a day, everyday. It would need more than just a defrag to help it along.
I've been keeping an eye on laptop specials. Last month my mom bought a Lenovo - she has needed to replace her computer for a long time. I liked the look of it but was hoping to catch a good deal on a Dell, which is what I've got. I do love my Dell.
I went into my local store on Wednesday and they still had the Lenovo available but mentioned another machine coming out yesterday/today. I checked online this morning but preferred to stick with the Lenovo. Anyway, I go this morning and they've got no more Lenovos (sent back) and the new special was in - a Toshiba with similar specs to the Lenovo. I'd had friends with Toshibas and they seem ok, so I went for it.
Windows 8 is a stupid setup. Difficult to find things like download folders and such. I'm sure it will be better after I've customised and moved things around just-so.
I've just started the process of installing software. It's amazing how many programs I use regularly - even just the free stuff like Adobe Reader, Chrome, Google Earth, the program for my GPS logger, Inkscape... And then there are my purchased programs like Adobe Photoshop Elements (and video editor), Office... Gonna take me days to set it up and transfer files, bookmarks, email...
Nice to be starting with a clean machine anyway. Like spring cleaning.
Friday, 6 December 2013
Thursday, 5 December 2013
Old, new, borrowed, blue
I'm writing a FEAT post at the moment and I was checking up on adventurers and adventures.
I've just read the following on a FB page for an activity coming up soon:
"Does anyone have a contact for battery operated camping lamps. We need to borrow about 20 units... The battery would need to keep going the whole night until daybreak (about 9 hours). We also need a sponsor for 20 head torches for the athletes to wear."
*sigh* Really? Sponsors are so not necessary for this. Many of the athletes probably have their own headlamps (I know two people participating and both have their own headlamps - more than one in the case of the one guy). And what is so wrong with borrowing headlamps (and camp lights) from friends?
I'm not quite sure why there seems to be this constant need by people doing things - especially fundraising initiatives - to 'request' or 'expect' items to be given to them by sponsors. What happened to the age-old system of lending and borrowing from people you know and supportive people you don't? It's only one night.
If each participant bought or borrowed a headlamp from a friend and purchased a set of spare batteries for the unit then they'd be sorted. This is not a massive expense. Headlamps can also be shared by runners, especially if they're doing a relay thing. It's just sweat! (minimise sweat transfer by wearing said headlamp over a cap).
And there will be loads of spectators and friends and supporters. Surely between them all there will be dozens of camp lights available? And how about some solar fairy lights to make pretty-pretty? And I have little doubt that nearby homes wouldn't mind running a long extension cable to power sensible lighting options for nine hours?
There really are so many more options.
I think this request could have been phrased as:
"Do any of you have battery-powered camp lights we can use? We're also looking for some headlamps for the runners without their own units to use. Drop me a note. Thanks."
But that's just me.
Personally, I've got about five headlamps I'd gladly make available.
"Does anyone have a contact for battery operated camping lamps. We need to borrow about 20 units... The battery would need to keep going the whole night until daybreak (about 9 hours). We also need a sponsor for 20 head torches for the athletes to wear."
*sigh* Really? Sponsors are so not necessary for this. Many of the athletes probably have their own headlamps (I know two people participating and both have their own headlamps - more than one in the case of the one guy). And what is so wrong with borrowing headlamps (and camp lights) from friends?
I'm not quite sure why there seems to be this constant need by people doing things - especially fundraising initiatives - to 'request' or 'expect' items to be given to them by sponsors. What happened to the age-old system of lending and borrowing from people you know and supportive people you don't? It's only one night.
If each participant bought or borrowed a headlamp from a friend and purchased a set of spare batteries for the unit then they'd be sorted. This is not a massive expense. Headlamps can also be shared by runners, especially if they're doing a relay thing. It's just sweat! (minimise sweat transfer by wearing said headlamp over a cap).
And there will be loads of spectators and friends and supporters. Surely between them all there will be dozens of camp lights available? And how about some solar fairy lights to make pretty-pretty? And I have little doubt that nearby homes wouldn't mind running a long extension cable to power sensible lighting options for nine hours?
There really are so many more options.
I think this request could have been phrased as:
"Do any of you have battery-powered camp lights we can use? We're also looking for some headlamps for the runners without their own units to use. Drop me a note. Thanks."
But that's just me.
Personally, I've got about five headlamps I'd gladly make available.
Navigation coaching sessions
I couple of weeks ago I set up a couple of navigation coaching sessions to get the momentum going for next year.
Two weeks ago we had the first session and I was ably assisted by Garry, Sarah and Stephanie. We had 11 keen and eager participants. The evening turned into a beautiful one - straight after a good 'ol highveld downpour.
The first session focuses on basics like map orientation, pacing, thumbing and map familiarity (paying attention to the colours and symbols that tell you about the terrain and surroundings).
For our second evening - last night - we ran two sessions with Garry taking the newcomers for Session #1 and me taking our returning participants for Session #2. You can't do Session #2 without having done Session #1.
This morning one of our new participants wrote to say of her experience of Session #1 - "Learnt a lot and it's amazing what a difference the simpler things that you can do can make (things I didn't know before)". Jess is quite right. Sometimes it takes just a bit of experienced guidance to get you on the right track.
Session #2 works a bit more on map orientation and I was delighted to see the participants moving much more smoothly, changing direction and keeping their maps orientated. A couple of them commented how they felt all fingers at the first session but were way more coordinated this time around. And then we began with an activity that begins with finding your way from A to B.
My top pleasure from the evening was seeing one of my participants glowing on her return from her first activity loop. This was the first time that she's been out navigating on her own and she found everything perfectly. Yes, THIS is exactly why I totally get a kick out of navigation coaching.
In the next two weeks Garry and I will be planning dates for sessions in Jan-Feb-March. I'll let you know details when we've got 'em planned. We've also got a few other treats planned to celebrate AR Club's 10th year as an orienteering club affiliated to the SA Orienteering Federation.
Two weeks ago we had the first session and I was ably assisted by Garry, Sarah and Stephanie. We had 11 keen and eager participants. The evening turned into a beautiful one - straight after a good 'ol highveld downpour.
The first session focuses on basics like map orientation, pacing, thumbing and map familiarity (paying attention to the colours and symbols that tell you about the terrain and surroundings).
For our second evening - last night - we ran two sessions with Garry taking the newcomers for Session #1 and me taking our returning participants for Session #2. You can't do Session #2 without having done Session #1.
This morning one of our new participants wrote to say of her experience of Session #1 - "Learnt a lot and it's amazing what a difference the simpler things that you can do can make (things I didn't know before)". Jess is quite right. Sometimes it takes just a bit of experienced guidance to get you on the right track.
Session #2 works a bit more on map orientation and I was delighted to see the participants moving much more smoothly, changing direction and keeping their maps orientated. A couple of them commented how they felt all fingers at the first session but were way more coordinated this time around. And then we began with an activity that begins with finding your way from A to B.
My top pleasure from the evening was seeing one of my participants glowing on her return from her first activity loop. This was the first time that she's been out navigating on her own and she found everything perfectly. Yes, THIS is exactly why I totally get a kick out of navigation coaching.
In the next two weeks Garry and I will be planning dates for sessions in Jan-Feb-March. I'll let you know details when we've got 'em planned. We've also got a few other treats planned to celebrate AR Club's 10th year as an orienteering club affiliated to the SA Orienteering Federation.
Monday, 2 December 2013
A taste of my own Metrogaine medicine
The WITSOC bunch (Stephanie, Christie, Sarah P and Sarah) really planned a superb Festive Metrogaine on Saturday. As they did all the work and planning, it was a wonderful opportunity for me to participate.
The route linked orienteering maps of Zoo Lake (start/finish) with Emmarentia (and JHB Botanical Gardens) with a good load of controls all over the place. The map covered a really big area, which gave a lot of options. But, as Emmarentia (the park) was loaded with high scoring controls, if you wanted to really score well, it was pretty much compulsory to head over there.
I'd decided not to head over to Emmies, choosing instead to visit a bunch of controls on the Zoo Lake side of Barry Hertzog. Not a good choice in terms of being very high scoring, but a nice route to run. I guess it doesn't help kinda knowing the suburbs... I didn't feel like running up Westcliff and nor did I want to run up and over to Emmies and then up and over on the way back. Yip... lazy ass ;)
Looking at the points, if I'd run more directly from Zoo Lake and into Emmies to pick up a couple of controls there and then straight back, I'd probably have collected more points. I think my total was 530 points - not bad in the overall ranking but pretty dismal compared to Timothy Chambers' 1200 (a bit more maybe) points.
I made two errors on the route. Leaving Zoo Lake I thought that the road I exited on was one lower than where I actually was. This meant that when I got to the corner where my first control should have been on (I'd run one block up - looking at the map I'm not sure what I was thinking...), the house number in the clue didn't match. Fortunately I could see a few blocks up so I realised that I was too high up and had to drop down a block (I was actually on the correct road initially but didn't realise it because I only started looking for the house when I got to the next corner).
On the home stretch back to Zoo Lake I mis-counted the blocks. I'd counted 'two blocks up' on my map and so that's what I did. But it was actually three blocks up (need new contact lenses?)... Again, the clues didn't match what I found in reality so after another look at my map I realised what a paw-paw I was and corrected.
I ran about 13km in total. Nice 'n easy.
Metrogaine is a super event format and I enjoyed running around, map in hand. Well done to Stephanie, Christie, Sarah P and Sarah for planning this excellent event.
The route linked orienteering maps of Zoo Lake (start/finish) with Emmarentia (and JHB Botanical Gardens) with a good load of controls all over the place. The map covered a really big area, which gave a lot of options. But, as Emmarentia (the park) was loaded with high scoring controls, if you wanted to really score well, it was pretty much compulsory to head over there.
I'd decided not to head over to Emmies, choosing instead to visit a bunch of controls on the Zoo Lake side of Barry Hertzog. Not a good choice in terms of being very high scoring, but a nice route to run. I guess it doesn't help kinda knowing the suburbs... I didn't feel like running up Westcliff and nor did I want to run up and over to Emmies and then up and over on the way back. Yip... lazy ass ;)
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| The street part of the map. Big area and lots of controls. Points work according to the control number where 10-19 would be 10 pts each, 20-29 are 20pts each etc. |
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| My route. A few in-and-outs. |
On the home stretch back to Zoo Lake I mis-counted the blocks. I'd counted 'two blocks up' on my map and so that's what I did. But it was actually three blocks up (need new contact lenses?)... Again, the clues didn't match what I found in reality so after another look at my map I realised what a paw-paw I was and corrected.
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| Zoo Lake controls. |
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| And this is what I missed out on in Emmies. Look at all those 50 and 60 point controls! |
Metrogaine is a super event format and I enjoyed running around, map in hand. Well done to Stephanie, Christie, Sarah P and Sarah for planning this excellent event.
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