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January 27, 2005

snowfall records broken - 43 inches in January

I dug my car out of the snow this morning... again. The recorded snowfall in January was 40 inches in Massachusetts and 43 inches at Boston's Logan Airport, a record for any single month in history. We don't need any more snow, thank you very much.

Posted by Geoff at 5:02 PM | Comments (2)

January 26, 2005

here we go again! (more snow in Boston)

Looks like Boston is getting yet another six to eight inchestoday! Traffic is already horrible, and I'm staying home this time. (I need a break from sitting in the interstate parking lots the last couple days.) Looks like it will be bad for both morning and evening commutes. Why is there always an accident on Route 128 at Route 109?

Posted by Geoff at 8:20 AM | Comments (0)

January 25, 2005

at least two feet!

It's difficult to be precise, but it appears we got at least two feet in Boston. Some areas of MA got more like three feet. Many cars were nearly invisible in my neighborhood. I was one of the lucky ones -- the strong winds made drifts around my car, but the top half was mostly visible. :) Click here to see more photos.

With my brother Matt's help, it took about an hour to dig my car out. Traffic to and from work was slow going, but not too bad for me (although I didn't leave until about 9:30am). However, one of my co-workers left early from work, at 4pm, and it still took him four hours to get home when it normally takes about 45 min!

Traffic was still pretty bad today, even though the roads were much better. I guess some people thought it was back to normal and didn't realize how slippery it still was out there. Take it easy out there, everyone.

Posted by Geoff at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2005

Blizzard conditions in Boston

Heavy snow started late this afternoon. Looks like at least 6 inches so far. They're forecasting over 20 inches by tomorrow! I'll have to put some photos up tomorrow after I survey the damage. :)

Posted by Geoff at 12:20 AM | Comments (0)

January 18, 2005

Tips for using this site (in the wake of comment spam)

It appears that I've started receiving what is called "comment spam", which is similar to email spam (or junk email). Someone posted advertisements for a poker web site in the comments section. In order avoid this happening in the future, I've taking some initial steps to tighten up security. From now on, the following restrictions will apply to commenters that do not login using a typekey login and password:

You can register for a typekey account at http://www.typekey.com. It's free and they promise not to sell your information or share it without your explicit approval. If you don't wish to register for TypeKey, you can continue to post comments, but be aware that if comment spam becomes a bigger problem, I may further restrict access in the future. Also, you will be required to specify an email address which will be publicly accessible on this web site, so take any precautions to protect yourself from email spam (such as using an alternate email address).

Posted by Geoff at 12:10 PM | Comments (0)

January 17, 2005

REAL winter cycling

On Sunday morning, I braved 25F temp and wind in Boston to try out some new winter cycling clothes I bought this weekend (and kick off my training for the PMC). You might call me crazy, but I was actually a little too warm by the end of it. Very key were the balaclava (full head and face mask) and winter booties (covers for my summer cycling shoes). My gloves were way too warm and I could have shed one of the layers on my torso. All in all, though, I was pleased with how it went. I think I could go even colder with that outfit. The bike path was clear of ice and snow (which won't be the case today since we got a little snow). I hope they keep it cleared it off through the winter. I'm hoping to get 3 or 4 days of riding per week going forward. Wish me luck. :)

Posted by Geoff at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2005

Pan-Mass Challenge: ride for cancer research

My life, like so many others, has been touched by cancer. My uncle, Rudy, died this year of cancer, after a two-year fight. My aunt, Eunice, was diagnosed this year with cancer, but is responding well to chemotherapy. My cousin's wife, Jennifer, died a number of years ago of cancer. My boss, Jothy, lost a leg and a lung to cancer, but survived twice thanks to research like that done at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Everywhere you turn people have been affected by this terrible disease.

Some of you may already know that I'm considering riding this August in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, a fund-raiser for cancer research. All the proceeds go to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.

Registration is not until February, but I wanted to take this opportunity to make a preliminary announcement of my intention to ride this year and begin requesting sponsorship.

Each rider must raise a minimum of $2000-$3000 depending on the route (there are several routes, varying in length and difficulty). I am considering the two-day ride from Wellesley to Bourne (near Cape Cod) and back to Wellesley again (151 miles). The fundraising minimum is $2200, and my goal is to exceed that and try to raise $2500.

The PMC has raised over $120 million since its first ride in 1980. If you would like to contribute to this worthy cause by sponsoring my ride, please let me know. Send email to ride@geoffhardy.com. May I suggest a donation of $25, $50, or whatever you might feel comfortable giving?

To read more about PMC visit http://www.pmc.org. To read more about Dana-Farber Cancer Institute visit http://www.dana-farber.org/ or http://www.jimmyfund.org/.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Geoff Hardy

Posted by Geoff at 3:30 PM | Comments (0)

Bicycling in January

It was supposed to be 60 degrees yesterday. Supposed to be. Oh, well, I brought my bike in so I figured I may as well ride it. So I rode in 42 degrees with heavy fog. The roads were fine. No icy spots. I think the fog made it feel colder. My lungs were a bit uncomfortable afterward. But hey, I got a ride in, and it wasn't bad. It's supposed to be cold again this weekend though.

I don't think I've mentioned here that I've been considering riding in the Pan Massachusetts Challenge this summer, which is an annual fundraiser for cancer research. I need to start training soon if I'm going to be ready by August, so I was testing the weather and my clothing. I'll definitely need something warmer on my head than a skull cap if I do anymore winter riding. I'll probably also need an extra shirt and some warmer shoes and tights if it gets much colder than 35. Time to do a little shopping I guess.

Posted by Geoff at 2:23 PM | Comments (0)

January 10, 2005

After the holidays...

I guess I took a few weeks off there. I had a relaxing vacation in Minneapolis. I enjoyed spending time with my family. I stayed with my parents and spent a lot of time with them and my two brothers and sister.

My sister, Cristina, and her husband, Kevin, hosted their first Christmas dinner at their new house this year. We had a lovely time eating turkey with all the trimmings and then opening gifts. As usual, there were several duplicate gifts -- my family is not much for communicating about who's buying what for whom. Oh, well. :)

My youngest brother, John, and his wife, Amanda, announced on Christmas day that they are expecting. I'm going to be an uncle -- scary thought, huh? :) Congratulations you two!

John's birthday is Jan 1, and he and Amanda threw a big bash New Year's Eve, in Winona, MN, where they live (about 2.5 hours from my parents' house).

My brother Matt flew back with me to Boston to visit for a few weeks. We've been hitting all the good restaurants and bars this week. He brought his guitar and harmonica (he plays a number of instruments and sings), and we jammed a bit on Saturday. We hope to play a lot together, and perhaps get a few songs together and play at an open mic sometime. I'll keep you posted...

Posted by Geoff at 11:00 AM | Comments (1)