Found Features

I've always loved unlocking or finding a new feature in something that you already use and didn't know about.  This week seemed to be all about new features in products I already use.

Zune

I got sick and tired of waiting for a firmware update to add new features to my Zune, so I took matters into my own hands.  I tried to use a multitude of free software out there to convert my Media Center TV shows so that they could be watched on my Zune.  I tried dcut, MSMCtoolbox and a few others with poor results.  I finally sprang for some purchased software that works like a charm.  Cucusoft Video Converter Suit works like a champ.  I wish I could have gotten a free app to work, but this is so easy, I don't mind paying the money.  This would have come in handy on my California trip, but I will have ample opportunity to use it in the future.  It is always helpful to be able to watch what you want on a trip...be it on the plane or in a hotel room with very few channels.

Next I got for Valentine's day, a new set of Ultimate Ears headphones to replace my aging Sony earbuds.  I loved those Sony buds, which had great sound in a small package and a low price, but I hated the overly long cord and the offset left and right cord that always seemed to get caught on something.  These new Ultimate Ears are great.  It took a little experimenting to get the right sleeve (smallest, where in the Sony's I needed the largest...go figure) and they lack some of the bass that the Sony's had, but the noise cancellation is great.

I also got a Belkin car mount for my Zune that plugs into the cigaret lighter.  It is supposed to be an FM Modulator, but I have a headphone port on my stereo, so I use that.  It has a bypass for use with a headphone or cassette adapter, but I was very disappointed with the sound quality coming out of it.  I instead use the regular headphone out on the Zune.  I am disappointed because this was one of the reasons I got this mount.  So basically it has 3 features:  Cigarette lighter mount (can be used in any car), FM modulator, Lineout pass through.  Of those features, I am only using 1 (I thought I would use 2).  I think I will keep it though because my other choice would be a pro clip that would cost the same and I would need to add a charging cable.  Not to mention, I can use this Belkin in any car whereas the pro clip would be useless in another car.

Dart Board

While this is not an unlocked feature, it does sort of fit this post.  You see I got this dartboard a long time ago and I tried to figure out a nice way to mount it to my deck so that it wouldn't look tacky and could be brought in after use.  I never figured out an elegant solution so it sat in a closet gathering dust until my friend Hunter came over to have some adult conversation (he has a new baby and baby talk is very prevalent in his house).  Hunter and I decided, elegant solution be damned, lets just put some screws in the wall.  So we did and dart games have been the Sunday afternoon norm for the past few weeks.  The board is electronic and far from regulation, but it does what we need.  It gives us a fun thing to do while we socialize, drink and get competitive.

One more new Zune feature...while playing Darts we have been listening to the Zune outside through my AV dock and the outdoor speakers.  Well the AV doc has a remote that has a magnet in it.  When I noticed that I thought, "well that would be fine for a college dorm where you attach it to the fridge, but when will I use it."  Well the patio door is metal and the remote works great though the windows.

All in all, it is great getting more use out of things you already have...I just wish I didn't usually end up paying more money for it.

I ran fast today...

Well not really fast, but for the first time since my marathon I added a little speed.  My training plan called for 9 miles with 5 at Half marathon pace.  So after a slow start, in weather that was much colder than I anticipated, I really RAN.

 I had been taking things pretty easy since the marathon and you know what, I think I missed it.  It was fun to try to hold a time, even though I couldn't in the beginning...then I couldn't slow down at the end.  But the end of the run felt so good and afterward I felt like I accomplished something.  Before now I think I was just ' putting in the miles.'  I was not emphasizing any speedwork or times at all; mostly because I don't have any time goals for my next race.  So in a way, I seem to be motivated again...however it seems to have come at a bad time.

I also woke up this morning with a soar throat...a really bad one.  I was lucky to avoid a cold during my last training cycle, even though I had a few close calls.  But I think this one is here to stay.  After I got over my renewed feeling of accomplishment and got to work, I felt weak, dizzy, tired and soar.  All the markings of a cold, and a bad one at that.  I know from reading about it, and from personal experience, that the first 3 days of a cold are usually the worst.  Well if this is day 1, that puts day 3 squarely in the middle of my first real long run of this training cycle.  So much for this new found motivation, I'll be lucky to live through it.

In a related topic, you can see my new shoes above.  They are a departure from my tried and true pairs, but come recommended and at a great price (that's a story for another time).  I needed new shoes more than you could imagine, with both of my current pairs well over 500 miles.  I'm going to try to ease them in, not doing any really long runs in them.  But so far they feel comfortable and very similar to the other Asics pairs I own.  Well we will see how they work out, how bad this cold is, whether or not I will get my long run in and if I can work some hills in anytime soon.

Super Bowl Parties

I'm as guilty as the next person for wanting to make watching a game more significant.  As an Auburn Fan, I just can't seem to fathom watching say the Florida game alone at home.  There is something about a big game that you want to share with others.  You want to see things through their eyes and have them see it through yours.  It does happen from time to time that I have had to watch one of these games alone, due to business travel or such, but I usually seek out a bar or some way to share the game.

Now, having said that, watching the game on TV with a crowd is probably the worst way to watch.  At every party there are times when people are just not interested in the game.  Hey, it happens to me from time to time.  It is rare that anyone watches every play and add to that checking on the kinds, the food, socializing and drinking that goes on, it is amazing that we see the game at all.

On the other extreme, watching a game by yourself is boring.  Sure, you can see every play and change channels to check other games without disturbing others.  But, there is no one there to say, "Did you see that?" to.  Not to mention you feel like an idiot screaming and yelling at the TV in a silent room.  When ever this happens to me, I find myself on the phone with someone watching the game saying, "Did you see that?"

I guess the perfect mix is to have a small group of fans to gather and watch a game.  It has to be a large enough group that, some can go off and have a conversation without leaving one or two alone watching the game.  It also has to be small enough that the talking doesn't over power the game.  I think we have hit on the perfect mix a few times.  We have a large group gather near the TV trading insights and one liners while another crowd socializes in the kitchen or on the deck.  It is best when you can flow from group to group, spending time socializing then watching, but the focus is always on the game.