Electric Vehicle Test Drive

Work had an Electric Vehicle showcase today. We got to test drive a handful of the EV's on the market or almost on the market like:
Nissan Leaf,
Chevy Volt,
Coda(new company that only makes EVs),
Ford, Mitsubishi

Pretty sweet. I was surprised at the pickup some of them had, how they handled, and the range they said they could get. They withstood a full day of test drives around the course they had setup.

There was also a presentation on the business case for EVs that was interesting. There are a lot of unknowns, how high gas prices will get (assuming the will continue to rise), if the power grid will be able to flux to meet the demand, etc . The figure that I hadn't considered before and surprised me the most was the expected resell value of EVs and the expected decrease in maintenance costs, due to fewer moving parts.

 Parking lot of the future?

Assuming EVs catch on it will be interesting to see how markets change and evolve to adapt. It could potentially be a really big shift, I wonder if it's too big to really get EVs off the ground or if there is enough momentum to really make it happen. Thoughts?

The Social Conundrum

This post is dedicated to my friend Gabe, who as Sharon and I say is pseudo-family. He was married recently (meaning in the last year) and disappeared for a while. He resurfaced yesterday and wrote a great blog post about how he’s been feeling lately about life and being social. His thoughts and questions resonated with me and I began to write a comment, which turned into a very long comment. Instead of publishing it in the hardly read comment section, I decided to actually vet my response and edit it a bit and give him a thoughtful blog response (to break up the family log). You may need to read his post to understand some of my comments. Another disclaimer here, you should keep in mind, while I enjoy company, I am an introvert and don’t naturally seek out the company of others.

It seems to me what Gabe experienced was the 'post marriage' void. I’m pretty sure this happens to most newlyweds, unless they are the last of their single friends to get married and they still live near their married friends. I'm not saying it is a bad thing, but after you marry your best friend, there’s not much motivation to regularly reach out to old friends.  I think I really would have dropped off a ton of people’s radar, except that Sharon has this amazing ability to keep in touch with people.  I think it helped that two weeks after being married we shared a house with several other single adults for 4 months in Mozambique, bless their souls. It forced us to quickly get past that awkward “don’t-know-how-to-be-around-single-people” syndrome.  In addition, we learned that single friends can cope with hanging out with newlyweds.  We also had the advantage of living for a year close to friends and family immediately following, but even with that we still went through reclusive moments.

I have always felt as Gabe describes; life is crazy and while I always think to get in touch with people, I never seem to have time, or honestly make the time. When I was at Carnegie Mellon, I had to force myself to be social. I seriously made 'social' goals to motivate myself to stay in touch with people and build meaningful connections with those around me. They were usually simple things like write an email. Recently I've actually had a really nagging feeling I needed to email a bunch of people again.  Gabe was on that list.

Again, it helps that Sharon is such a social person and not only kept in touch with everyone we left in Utah, but also quickly made great friends in Pittsburgh. It’s been interesting with us moving every 6 months the last year or so. We have both found it much more challenging to make meaningful friends and to keep in touch with them, probably because we don’t get to know people as well, and we never really know if we will see anyone again.

I can relate to going long periods of time without speaking to my family. My family will be the first to tell you I’m horrible at keeping in touch.  I hardly ever call them. They usually are the ones that end up calling me. If it weren’t for Sharon’s example and reminders I’m scared to admit how much time would go by before I would think to talk with them. Not that I don’t love them and care about what’s going on, I just don’t think to call and chat.  It doesn’t feel natural. I’ve had a lot of retrospectives on why that is and I can’t really put my finger on it. I think it could have something to do with being the third of six children, my mission, and my introverted personality.

Anyway, to bring this full circle, ‘social media’ in some ways helps to solve these social conundrums. I’ll comment on the technologies he mentions, facebook, google+, and Blogs 

Facebook

I was never 100% onboard with. I’ll admit it; I joined largely under the influence of a girl back in 2006 or 2007. I put it off for a long time, but I was finally convinced. Since then she and I have moved on, but I never really immersed myself in it like others I know. I've actually tried deactivating my account twice in the last year; it's always one thing or the other that makes me 'have' to sign into it again, like organizing my brother’s bachelor party. I think it will actually be awhile before I can part with it for good. It does offer a convenient solution to the long distance social problem; just drop a note on a wall or comment on a recent photo and you keep the connection alive. Sharon chats with her close friends frequently. When I do get on facebook, I’m bad, I will usually go look at friends’ walls and get an idea of what they have been up to and not say anything...the anti-social side I guess.

Google+

I don’t know if it is just my impulse to try new things, but I have actually really enjoyed google+. I feel I have had more meaningful, thoughtful, and informative interactions. The format is more supportive of composing complete thoughts and communicating easily in a diverse range of ways. Because of it, I’ve been in touch with a few friends I have been long overdue in reaching out to again. I also like that I can share thoughts to one group of people or share pictures quickly from a family trip to a different group. I also have this crazy desire to keep all my contacts in one location. I love gmail, my android phone, and G+ because it allows me to manage all my contacts from one place.

   

Blogging

I have heard that many bloggers are switching to google+ from their traditional blogs. My blog was never really very deep intellectually or entertaining (Ira has helped with that though) and my audience is largely family and friends who may or may not have google accounts.  So I probably won’t be moving it any time soon, but I may post a link to any updates on google+.

In conclusion, I really don’t think one way of keeping in touch is better or worse, more modern or out dated than any other, I think it has more to do with personality, what you are comfortable with, and what you audience (people you communicate with or want to communicate with) regularly uses.

Well, I know this is a really long response, but since I don't live close enough to have a good face-to-face discussion and I need the practice articulating my thoughts in writing, this is what Gabe gets. I hope I have been able to add to these intriguing subjects.

For those joining the conversation, please leave a comment here or on Gabe’s original post. 

Quinn Visit!

Hi Everyone.  

    This is a delayed photo update of the Quinn visit.  I don't know what happened, but neither Ant nor I took pictures!  What were we NOT thinking?  These were all taken by Valine and may explain why we're lacking in photos of Grandma and Grandpa Quinn.  It was a blast having them here!

 Grandma gave these animals to Ira.  He lines them up in this exact spot almost daily, before he starts giving them truck rides around the apartment.  

 We took a little trip to the Mall of America, in which I rode a roller coaster for the first time in 10 years.  Woohoo!  It was great.  Mckay was good to put up with my screaming pretty much the entire ride. 

 Ant took some time off of work to spend the day with us at the conservatory and zoo.  

 I don't remember what exactly the point of this poster was.  I guess to make sure we all know that homosapiens (specifically little boys?) should be categorized with primates.  So, in honor of this very intelligent poster, we had a family photo taken.  Ira and the gorilla are ironically the only ones that look good in it. 

 Ira was thrilled with just about everything at the zoo. 

Foreshadowing that Ira, like his Dad, may be a Phish head. 

 The Sunken Garden.  Mckay kept saying something like, "We need a room like this in our house Mom!"  Agreed.  It smelled as good as it looked.

This is a big flower, but nothing compared to...

 this one!  :)

 The Japanese Garden.

 Ira was pretty tuckered out...

 but rewarded almost daily with chocolate cake. I seriously went through chocolate cake withdrawals after they left.  

Thanks for coming Quinns!  

  In other news:  We had a really fun 4th with the Durants and have been spending most spare time apartment hunting.  We have a few applications in, but it seems as though places are going like hot cakes, so hopefully we'll have a place settled in the next couple of days.  

Love you guys!

Superior Trip

Last weekend, Ant and I decided to go explore more of Minnesota.  We went North and camped in a town called Two Harbors and it rained pretty much all night.  All of our stuff got wet, but we stayed amazingly dry.  Anyone have advice on camping with a toddler?  It felt like Ira took about 3 hours to fall asleep.  He thought it was especially funny to put his feet in our face and kind of fling his body all over our tiny tent.  When we awoke early the next morning, (again thanks to our little camping insomniac), we packed up and got ready for the day just in time to watch the marathon that started about a mile from our campsite and ran right past.  

 Here are some of the Lighthouses we passed.  We wanted to do more hiking, but it was pretty drizzly.

 Our final destination was a couple more hours North in Grand Marais where they were having a Wooden Boat and Summer Solstice Festival.  It didn't feel very summery.  In fact, I regreted not bringing my winter coat and an extra blanket for Ira. But it was beautiful and a charming town, and a place with such good fish, I'm sort of determined to learn to cook fresh fish myself.  Mmmm.

 Lake Superior.

 Anthony introducing the concept of throwing rocks in the water to Ira. 

Freezing.

Sorry for the brevity and lack of details.  Right now, Ira's napping and Valine, Mckay and I are getting ready to go to the Mall of America.  Sweet!  Peace out!  

Cheese Trip

Hi Everyone!  I'll try and update you on our past couple weeks if Ira chooses to nap just a little longer.

Our Wisconsin Trip

First stop: Ellsworth, the Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin!  I was so excited that I bought a t-shirt and will show it off at the next Ellsworth Family reunion.  I especially like the side sign that reads "Ellsworth Funsters."

 For some reason Ira was obsessed with my hat that day...not sure why.

 Below are other small cheese factories and shops we visited, four all together.

 Ah yes, the Bartz's.  This is where we bought some chocolate cheese which I'm really excited to share with the Quinns when they get here tonight.  I think it tastes pretty much like fudge, but it has a cheese base...whatever that means.  I think I just like the idea of joining two of the most divine foods in the world into one. 

Here are some of other purchases from the trip. 10 year white cheddar, and 6 year (normal?) cheddar.  It was pretty sharp and made some great mac and cheese.  

The rest of life is good.  We've started the long distance apartment hunt for Detroit, and it's just as difficult as I remember...only this time I don't have a sister in town to check things out for us.  

  Ira seems to be having a verbal, cognitive, and foot growth spurt.  His feet have almost grown out of the sandles I just bought him!  And it's been really fun to know that he understand a lot of what we say.  He knows when I'm asking him to get his shoes, or asking for a kiss, and will usually comply if he's not busy.  We've begun the first faze of the potty experience, and over the last 2 weeks, he's added a handful of words to the 3 words he knew before. His vocabulary now includes (while consistently leaving off the last consinent)  

Da(d)

Ma(m)

Bir(d)

Ca(r)

Mo(re)

Ba(ll)...thanks to Truman, his also ball obsessed cousin. 

Bea(r)

Apple (which translates to Bubble)

Ha(t)

Yes, Yep, Yeah

And of course his all time favorite: "No!"  I added the exclamation, because it seems like he just barely learned to say it really assertively.  Like, "No!  You crazy person!  Why in the world would I let you put a diaper on me! Never!!!"  That's just me filling in the blanks though.  

  Ope, he just woke up.  Good timing Ira.  Love you guys!

Sharon

Let Summer Begin

 Hi Everyone,
   If you haven't heard, our next rotation is in Detroit.  I've never been there, but the impression I have of it is similar to the one I had of Pittsburgh before we moved there.  I think it will be a good thing.  Anthony's excited about the technically focused rotation he'll have there, and it looks like there may be an opportunity for me to volunteer with an awesome organization.  Details pending...or over the phone. The worse thing about leaving Minnesota though, will be leaving the Durants.  sigh...  We must cram in a lot of playing in before August comes.

  Let summer begin!!!  I took Ira to the "beach" this week.  He wasn't a huge fan of the water, but then I wasn't very surprised.  He only likes it in small quantities: in a cup or in a tub.  

 Anthony and I went to hear the orchestra in Minneapolis.  It was fabulous...and we killed time before the performance by taking pics of my new hair cut and sweet street art.

 It was really windy!...and really hot.  We passed a free concert that ended early because the lead singer got heat stroke.  

 Mom, I'm trying to mimic your senior picture below since I realized that I now have the same hair you did in the late 1950s.  Do you have a digital copy?  

 Anthony:  No explanation needed. :)

 Before the haircut

 After: First time with bangs since 3rd grade..and it feels alright.

 Sorry these are so out of order.  This was another fun date we went on...thanks to groupon and the awesome babysitter across the hall from us.  Sample Night Live.  This is a rad band called "The Smarts."  They're kind of like Weezer, They Might Be Giants, with some rockin' jazz and bluegrass mixed in there. 

 St. Paul

We love you guys!  We're glad to hear Mom and Dad are back from India, and are praying for the Larsens in Africa and Dallin in Jerusalem.  Speaking of exotic travel.  Expect exciting pictures next week, we're going to be off to Wisconsin to visit the land of cheese.  Peace out!
  sharon