deadend wasteland

Warrior Dash

2011-08-15T15:10:00.003-04:00

Warrior Dash was on Saturday Aug 13th. It's a 5k with obstacles. I ran the 4pm wave, but some of my friends ran earlier.

Having done little to prepare, the first mile was really grueling, as it was uphill on mountainous terrain (the race took place at a sky resort.) Thankfully the obstacles were fun and after the uphill was done, it was a lot more manageable.

The obstacles were:
- Barricade breakdown: Going over and under small barricades. It wasn't so bad.
- Road Rage: tire course with junk cars. It was fun to jump over the hood of cars.
- Teetering Traverse: several balance beams; after this, the course was pretty much down w/ the uphill stuff
- Deadweight drifter: this is where you got wet. Waist-deep clay water and you had to traverse over logs. Several people had trouble with this and I helped some by pulling them across the logs.
- Cliffhanger: using a rope to pull yourself up an incline. This one was fun as my upper body was fresh and not at all tired.
- Deadman's Drop: Steps over to a drop off; again, not that difficult though I saw some people have trouble
- Rubber Ricochet: Run through some tire "swings"; the volunteers were encouraging you to bash into them
- Cargo Climb: cargo net up and down; pretty easy, though again, some people had trouble
- Chaotic Crossover: cargo net crawl across; more difficult than the previous one but fun
- Petrifying Plunge: slllllip! slip and slide!
- Warrior Roast: jump over fire! On the first, I jumped and touched my toes. On the second.. well, the picture looks like my foot was on fire. Was it??!
- Muddy Mayhem: crawl through mud and under barbed wire

It was a lot of fun, though next time doing it at the same time as my friends would be more fun. That first hill though.. ugh..

My watch time was 46:51, though official time says I was 46:39:55, making me 2864 out of 9321. (That's a lot of people!) In my age group, I was 328/782. Not bad?

Pine Bush Triathlon 2011

2011-07-16T08:31:00.009-04:00

The Pine Bush Tri was on July 10, 2011. It was the tri I meant to do last year but waited too long to do. This time I didn't wait! It's a 0.2 mile swim, 11.5 mile bike, 3.25 mile run.

The race started at 8 but was a little late to get off. The day was great, the weather was mild and only really hot during parts of the run when there wasn't shade.There were 10 waves composed of different age groups (5 years apart and based by sex). This meant that the competitors were spaced out more, unlike last year's FTT where there were only two waves. I was wave 7. This meant, with luck, I wouldn't be the last one out of the swim!

I finished the swim 3rd to last, beating two guys in my age group. The transition went okay, though I briefly forgot where I put my bike. BTW, this year I actually bought a new road bike to replace my mountain bike on the tri. It's a 2010 Scott s40 speedster. I had ridden the bike a couple of weeks before so I knew the route. It's a pretty nice course and it went a lot faster this time then the first. Still, people flew past me pumping their legs. I had a little competition with one lady and we passed each other back and forth, with me ultimately pulling ahead in the end :)

This tri is weird in that you don't end where you start. So I mounted my bike in the transition and started running. I also ran the course the previous week so I knew what to expect. Overall my training was more lax this year as I got a little complacent and lazy. I was only able to swim 4 times and never really consistently ran 5ks. I was a little off my game on the run then, but still, I just biked and swam for an hour! Unfortunately, one of the guys I recognized from my age group who I had beaten on the swim overtook me at about .7 miles left. I was unable to catch back up :( Still, I finished 1:34:40 and it was a lot of fun. Shannon cheered me on and took pictures along the way. It's definitely a tri I want to do again, and next time I'll train harder to beat my time.

Official Results:
245/277
9:15 Swim (262)
51:14 Bike (239)
34:12 Run (226)
1:34:40 Total (Looks like I lost by one second to someone else)

1st 5k of the year

2010-09-26T21:42:00.004-04:00

Today was the Aids Walk and 5k run in Albany. My time was 30:48, with a photo finish sprint against another runner in the last 20 feet. Shannon finished 32:31; her first time running 5k this year. It was a beautiful day in Washington Park and the course was 2 laps around/in the park. Both my knees were hurting by the 2nd lap, but I managed to keep on pace.

I ended up 44th overall (though I maintain I won that sprint-off) out of 88, and 4th in the 30-34 male age group. Shannon was also 4th in her 5 year age group. Awesome!

Next week is another 5k and in 3 weeks the duathlon!

My first Tri

2010-08-11T19:27:00.005-04:00

I did my first triathlon on Aug 7; the Fronhofer Tool Sprint Triathlon. I'd meant to do the (closer and shorter) Pine Bush Triathlon the month before but missed the registration deadline.

Swim: .5 mile

Bike: 14.5 mile

Run: 3.1 mile

The day was perfect; no humidity and in the 70s. The water was warm, the ride was peaceful (though crazy hills in the beginning) and the volunteers were very helpful.

The swim was of course the hardest, since I'm not the best swimmer. I kept at it though as the women (who started 3 minutes after) passed me one by one. There was one other slow guy but he steadily kept ahead of me and beat me by a a handful of minutes. I ended up ahead of a few people in the end, but the swim was definitely my weak spot. Despite this, I somehow came in 10 min. under my estimated time. Which is a lot better than the other way around. The T1 was brutal as my legs felt like jello and I had trouble getting on my socks and shoes standing on one leg. Also my race bib got messed up when putting on my shirt and I had to reattach it. I didn't mind the rest at the time though!

The bike section was tough in the beginning with some crazy hills. However, this meant there was a great downhill not long after this. It also gave me the chance to pass a few people that were walking up the hills. I used my mountain bike and was one of the few to do so (Shannon said she saw a couple of others.) It seems like they weren't preparing for this though as the bike racks didn't accommodate my bigger wheels too well. Even though I passed people, I got passed a lot later one when a road bike would come out of nowhere and whiz by me. It really hurt having a mountain bike and no clipless peddles.

For the run, I actually did really well. This is where I was able to make up for the swim and ride. Even after the ride, I was making good time, 10 min miles, which is a good time for me. On the last mile I actually felt good and sped up to pass several people. Besides a guy in his 60s, I passed a 37 year old guy on the last mile to not come in dead last for Mens. Yay! As a side note, they actually were unable to get my finishing time for the run and I had to tell them the actual time, so my run time is 30 seconds off. Oh well ;)

My parents and Shannon cheered me on and it was a great experience. I still felt good several hours after until I crashed. I didn't get sore either, especially not compared to the triple headers we used to have in soccer. Anyway, I can't wait to do it again next year. I'll definitely do Pine Bush and probably the FTT again.

Swim Time 22:49
T1 2:52
Bike Time 1:06:35
T2 00:52
Run Time 29:03
Total Time: 2:02:11

My Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Collection

2010-06-12T15:33:00.009-04:00

Here's my Converse collection. My first pair was of course black. After that, I picked up a pair of grey high tops in NYC. Followed by a tricolor pair in Hollywood. And so it started... The black leather ones are my "fancy" pair that I got married in. My latest are the last two, the zippered and scribble Chucks.

My favorite place to find Converse is Marshalls, where you can pick them up for $20. I bought all the black/colored tongue ones there. I've found quite a few online though when they're onsale however. Famous Footwear is good because of their buy 1, 2nd half off. Of course zappos.com has the fastest shipping and are great, but it's hard to find Chucks on sale there.

Why do I have so many Converse? Well.. it doesn't help when your wife is a shoe-aholic (70+)!

Black	Grey	Tricolor	Stencil White/Pink
Red	Double Grey/Black	Black/Pink	Double Tongue Grey/White
Black/White	Black Leather	Black/Red	Leather Poorman Pro
Multi-eyelet Black	Black/Grey	Zipper Black	Scribble Black

Impressions of Europe

2010-04-25T15:12:00.008-04:00

Here are the pieces from my "Impressions of Europe" show that just closed at the UAG.

ConTEXT show

2010-04-10T12:30:00.003-04:00

The ConTEXT show opened at the UAG on Friday, April 2 and was a great success. Thanks to all the people and friends who showed up!

The show runs until April 23.

Upstate Artists Guild
247 Lark Street
Albany NY 12210

Gallery Hours
Thurs/Fri 5:30-8 pm
Sat 2-8 pm
Sun 2-6 pm

How to do Paper Plate Lithography

2010-03-14T10:41:00.006-04:00

What is paper plate lithography? It is a form of printmaking where you take a laserprint photocopy (xerox) of an image as the basis for a lithograph. Gum arabic is placed on the photocopy. When you ink the copy, the gum arabic repels the ink from the white spots while the ink adheres to the photocopy parts.

What do you need?

Laser print copy (reversed)

Shellac - optional

Gum arabic

Oil based Etching ink

Roller

Rolling pin - for the DIYers

Disposable gloves

Sponge

Crappy brushes

Printing surface - plexiglass works

Burnt plate oil - for thinning out the ink (optional)

Printing paper - Rivers BFK

Baby oil - ink clean up

1) After you have your laser print copies, shellac the back of each copy. This is done to give the paper more strength when you're inking it and dousing it in gum arabic. This step is not necessary but it will make your life a little easier.

2) After the shellac dries, turn the copy over to the printed side. Use gum arabic to cover the entire image. This will make the paper repel the ink later.

3) Take a damp sponge and wipe off / even out the gum arabic.

4) You're ready to ink it. Put on your gloves at this time. It gets messy. Take some ink out with a palette knife and place it on a workspace. Work the ink some to get it a nice consistency. Use a drop or two of burnt plate oil if it's too tacky. Next, use your roller and get a nice even coat of ink on in. Now roll your image. Cover all the photocopied parts; if there are white parts it's not necessary to ink these.

5) This is one of the most important steps. Using a sponge, remove the excess ink. Now, the easiest way to do this is to get your sponge really wet. Drop a few drops of water on the ink. Watch how the ink disippates; it's like oil and water mixing. Use the sponge to sop up the excess ink and rinse it out / douse it in a bucket of water often.

6) After all the excess ink is gone, you should notice the ink sticking to your image. If you don't, you might now have enough ink on it. Maybe you wiped off the ink or didn't do it right. You can roll it again or take your chances.

7) Take your printing paper and put it on your work surface. Sometimes it helps for your to have dampened the paper ahead of time and let it dry some. This is optional. Put your inked paper face down on the paper.

8) Take a rolling pin and roll the back of the paper. Initially I had a piece of paper over the inked paper to minimize mess, but it doesn't seem to work as well as rolling directly on the paper.

9) Now peel your (de)inked paper plate off the printing paper. Hopefully your print came out okay. If not, you might be able to make another pass with the same plate (or better yet a fresh one). This can create a neat effect if you do it correct. Just make sure to line up the plate correctly the second time. Good luck!

Special thanks to my former professor Rachel Gross who taught me this process initially, Central Art Supply for all my art supply needs, and Scott Pernicka for letting me use his laserprinter.

Paper lithography

2010-02-08T21:00:00.004-05:00

I'm working on art for an upcoming show and am trying printmaking again after a ten year break. This is a proof of concept trying out the technique of paper lithography, using oil based etching ink, gum arabic, and a photocopy. It turned out pretty good and I learned what not to do the next time.

Geppi Entertainment Museum: pop culture mecca

2009-12-08T18:34:00.008-05:00

Every pop culture fan deserves to visit the Geppi Entertainment Museum in Baltimore. Filled with all kinds of entertainment, from comics, to tv, to toys, it's a treat for people of all ages. If you're a comic fan, you'll marvel at all the rare comics displayed, including all of the milestone comics like Marvel Comics #1, Action comics #1, and Detective comics #27.

If you're more a toy fan, you'll no doubt find plenty to salivate over as well. Whether it's MOC Transformers, G.I. Joe, or Star Wars, there's plenty to see.

Notable for Joe fans is the 1963 12" Joe prototype. Yes! This one!

The museum runs the gamut from tin toys to I Love Lucy to animation cells. No item is seemingly too random and half the fun is discovering what lies in the next room. Where else could you find a box of Mr. T cereal on display? Check it our if you're in Baltimore, or make the trip if you're close by. It's definitely worth it.

My Joe Collection (part 1)

2009-12-05T21:27:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd post pics of my Joe collection. This was the set up in my apartment circa early 2006.

MOC Joes, G1 Transformers keychains, some of my brother's original Joes

Army builders: Urban, Cobra infantry, Funskool Night Creepers, (modified) Vipers, Crimson Army (custom Tomax and Xamot). Defiant Shuttle (my mom got it for $10 at a garage sale years ago)

Top: Hydrofoil, Cobra Command, Oktober Guard
Top shelf: Techno Vipers, Alley Vipers, Ninjas, Classic Team
2nd shelf: JvC, Bugg and some Cobras
3rd shelf: BATs and Grenadiers
4th shelf: Arctic teams
5th shelf: Dreadnoks and ninjas
6th shelf: RAH Joes
7th shelf: Cobras
Bottom shelf: Some Vehicles, Tiger Force (Roadblock and Airtight customs)

Tofu Quilt

2009-11-06T08:07:00.002-05:00

My mom's new book, Tofu Quilt is available for sale on Amazon. (The cover was done by my dad.) It's a free verse book about her life growing up in China and Hong Kong. I'm reading it now and it's really funny and heartfelt. The short chapters make it easy to read a few poems a night. Check it out!

Bittersweet Endings: A Collection of Stories

2008-09-07T08:32:00.001-04:00

My book, a collection of comics from the past ten years, is available to order from lulu.com. The stories range from autobiographical slice-of-life to humorous observations and feature a range of art styles. Over a hundred black and white pages all for a measly $10.

(Also available on Amazon.)

POW! Comics and Illustration show

2008-09-07T00:20:00.000-04:00

Friday night was the opening of the POW! show at the Upstate Artists Guild gallery. Two of my pieces were on display and I debuted my new mini-comic dead girls (10 years in the making.) It's 26 poems and pictures of the aforementioned. Thanks to everyone who came out and those that bought my comics.