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peppermint steam

mario — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:44:08 +0000

Here comes another unfortunate story and experience that happened at my new gym. In the steam room this time. I walk into a packed steam room filled with a bunch of guys with a towel wrapped around their butts. Just FYI, I was not nude. That wasn’t the story. The level of steam in the room seemed to have gone down a bit and since I just entered, my tolerance for heat and steam were quite high. I stepped up to the little thermometer in the room and I remembered that by sprinkling such with cold water, you can really get the steam going. Quite logically, there was a spray bottle of sorts right next to it. Cold water, of course, I assumed. So, I started spraying the liquid. And I sprayed some more. Lots of water everywhere.The steam started just as the guy next to me frantically started tapping my calf. It came as no surprise to me that something went wrong as some of that liquid had gotten into my eye which caused momentary loss of sight followed by extreme tearing.

I had managed to empty a bottle of peppermint scented oil/water in the steam room which felt a little bit like ramming a pack of Fisherman’s Friends up your nostrils. The steam room cleared rather quickly and I left just as soon as my eye sight came back. Well, and then I waited just a couple more minutes to ensure that I wasn’t going to run into any of my steamy peers in the showers.

I’ll probably just work out at home for the rest of the week.

the motorcycle of the future

mario — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:35:21 +0000

My good friend Brad recently released version 1.0 of a motorcycle powered by lithium ion batteries. He spent the last six months building this beauty. It goes up to 70mph and one can go about 50 miles before re-charging. How do you re-charge? Just unplug your toaster and plug in this motorcycle. 30 minutes later, you’re ready to ride again. It’s that simple. Unfortunately, you can’t buy this anywhere. Yet.

Brad’s Motorcycle

bad job blogging

mario — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:58:36 +0000

I obviously have done a very bad job of keeping my blog updated over this past week. Lots has happened, all which is good. The Hasselhoff talk was a success, and hopefully I won’t be giving that talk at any more professional outings. I had a great time in Seattle meeting up with Jerry and Gail, as well as some of my old friends at Wongdoody. My marathon training is absolutely awful, and I am not looking forward to those 26 miles up and (and hopefully) down the hills of my hometown. I’ve got a few posts in the pipeline that I need to wrap up and get posted.

speaking at gnomedex 8.0

mario — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:24:19 +0000

I just arrived at Gnomedex, and it all looks very impressive. Everything is well thought out and the people all seem very friendly. Everyone brought their laptop, so seems like my kind of place. Let’s hope I don’t get booed of stage with my Hoff talk. Rumor has it yesterday’s speakers were amazing.

Stella Scooters and Night Guards

mario — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:35:26 +0000

Today was a good day. This morning I got to go the dentist to pick up my first night guard. While my teeth have always been slightly crooked, this guard is designed to protect my teeth from grinding against each other at night. That’s apparently what happens to guys my age. Then after work, I finally pulled the trigger and purchased a brand new red 2007 Stella Scooter. I don’t get to pick it up until next week, which is when I will have hopefully passed my motorcycle safety driving test, which by the way, I am only taking for the second time. This fine scooter is my first mode of motorized transportation since Bozo, the 1989 Toyota Corolla Station Wagon, I sported in the City of Los Angeles. Last but not least, I have been asked to give my Hasselhoff talk at a major technology convention in Seattle next week. More on that soon.

Portland Waterfront Beer Festival

mario — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:52:10 +0000

Yesterday was spent with a bunch of friends at the Portland Beer Festival. You buy a mug, then begin standing in line for one of the many different types of beer. Once you get your beer, you walk over and begin waiting in the next line. But waiting is really not that bad, since every few minutes there is a collective crowd roar composed of well-thought out word plays such as “BEER…BEEEEEEER….BEEEEEEER.” My favorite part of living in an Urban neighborhood really is the wide-array of cultural highlights available to residents.

quick recap

mario — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:49:45 +0000

Last week was busy, and I still got a couple of posts that I need to write up. Anyways, here are some quick highlights. I got to meet with my favorite game console maker last week. And it wasn’t Microsoft or Sony. Otto is shedding like crazy. I am looking into another real estate purchase. But maybe that isn’t a good idea. There is a fine line between making smart investments and making investments that will severely bind you to a certain location.

off to Dayton

mario — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:23:58 +0000

Tonight Jen moved for the third time this year. Note to any of you out there who are thinking about be-friending this lady – if you own a truck, you’re in. Tomorrow Jen and I are going to yet another wedding. This time it’s in Dayton, Washington which is way closer to the state of Montana that I’d like it to be. Fortunately, we didn’t plan this in advance so we’ll be at least camping at the wedding, which kind of makes up for the long drive.

Introducing The Bizzy Life

mario — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:58:20 +0000

One of my recent projects has been helping my boss, Tim O’Leary, revamp his blogging efforts. Well, Tim has just official launched his newest blog called The Bizzy Life – a place for people that live their work. It’s quite a fun read and not exactly what you’d expect from a man who runs one of America’s largest independent advertising agencies. But that’s a good thing.

The site has a tremendous amount of valuable content. Recent topics of conversations have been:

Why you shouldn’t invest in the stock market.
How the government promotes porn.
How to hire a butler.
The best way to blow dry your hands.

Last but not least, there is an exclusive tour of the Jesse Helms Museum of Intolerance which is bound to offend more than just Jesse’s family.

The Little Dog Laughed

mario — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:42:46 +0000

For our anniversary, Jen and I went to the theatre to see a show about two gay men whose romance interferes with one of the gentleman’s acting career. It was a great show but this is the last time I spend an anniversary with naked men. The Little Dog Laughed.