deltaphian.com

As a fan of Garmin GPS products for my car, I thought I might find some utility for one on my bike. It turned out to be a good idea, at least for me. Being able to create and download routes from my PC to my bike GPS closed the loop between simply feeling my way, with sweat in my eyes, to dead nuts easy to read directions, while in route. Don’t get me wrong, I like the adventure of feeling my way, but more often, I like following a plan. A bike specific GPS makes it easy, and I have been using one, in conjunction with route mapping web site services and software, for a few years. Here is my list of favorites:

• http://connect.garmin.com/ – Not really a mapping route generator, more of a database to store your history, and a fine job it does at that. Includes a route player that simultaneously displays cadence, heart-rate, speed, elevation, and distance. Pretty flashy. It also does a reasonable job reporting historical data (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, averages, max/min, etc).
• http://bikeroutetoaster.com – A great route generator. It can utilize OpenStreeMap.org data to create bikspecific routes. Provides a very good auto-router between points. Supports uploading and downloading your generated routes directly to and from your device.
• http://www.gpsies.com – Creates routes just fine, but much better at GPS data conversions. Supports various formats for several GPS devices. It seems this site can take any gps output from various devices and convert it for use with any other device or other mapping software. That’s special. But, what’s really special is the conversion usually works. Most others I have used do not.
• http://bimactive.com – Old favorite. It does a very decent job with everything mentioned above with an added twist – No GPS bike device needed! It uses your phone’s GPS feature to record AND upload your movements while in route. Go ahead, read the last sentence again . . It’s called Personal Live Tracking, permitting your significant other, friends, etc, to watch your progress as you go ($5 monthly subscription). Of course, at the end of your ride it will also accept data from your GPS device as well, filling in the holes for heart-rate and cadence. This site is also ready to push out your rides to your favorite social networking sites. Pretty slick. Yea, I know, Android has a few apps that purport to do the same thing, I tried them. They have a lot of catching up to do.

That’s my list. For a gadget geek like me, these tools add a dimension to cycling that keep me in the saddle.

It’s that time of the year . . . Ellen, Vera, Mike, Kristin, Brian, Dion, Marc?, and Phil

Short sale offer was accepted.  It has a few rough edges.  There are some signs of distress, and it’s an as-is deal, but easy to fix.  Neighborhood and topographic location is very good.  Built in 1994, all the living space is usable.  Needs professional interior paint, screens, Stanely Steamer for the carpet, and toilet leak repair.  Outside, well, plenty of cleanup work.  Zillow details.  Other pictures.

<Update December 8, 2008> Still waiting on the short sale bank approval.  Both realitors indicate it’s a done deal, but the fat lady has yet open her mouth.  Good thing I’m not holding my breath.

Got rid of the apartment. Good riddance. Found a nice house to rent, and saved a few bucks on the monthly. A garage and a yard.

I was starting to get comfortable with the notion the house would not sell. It did. My neighbor, good o’l George, put his house on the market just when ours was coming off. This resulted in a lot of spill-over traffic. Turns out, what we lacked in upgrades we were able to make up for in “location”. We received and accepted a very reasonable offer. Good thing too. My neighbors would have killed me for accepting anything less. That’s not to say I am happy to have sold the house. Heck. Now I’m house-less. I miss it. Where once my “private” patio overlooked a serene canyon with birds and whispering palms, I now enjoy a great close up view of the apartment complex parking lot joined by the I15 Freeway only yards from the lots edge. This sucks. But hey, I picked the place out, smart guy that I am. Second to a yard, I miss my neighbors. Joe, John, Gras, and Sheri. And George, and Frank, and Tim . . . those two guys with the dogs, life was good.

I also miss the quiet, and the garage. There is something to be said about groceries and an attached garage with a full size fridge. Right now I have to walk a block to my assigned space. Sure, exercise is good. Right.

The adventure has begun.

Now really, what has the world of automation come to. Supposedly, if all goes as advertised, this email message will appear as a post in a WordPress powered website. Indeed we shall see. Next thing you know, you’ll be able to post pictures via email. And, I am not talking about a snapshot, but a whole album zipped as an attachment!

Yea, sorry, I’m a newbie.

Over the years I have gotten used to periodically posting to my personal cyberspace tidbits of where I have been, and pictures I’ve taken along the way. It was more of an ego thing than practical. Times have changed. My ego is still very much intact. But, it’s time for something else . . .