Ryan McFarland

What have i been up to for the last two weeks?  Well, from Tuesday to Saturday Petersburg was host to the Alaska Recreation & Park Association conference.  We had about 50 people in town for exhibitions, classes, workshops, and socialization.  Hosting a conference is a lot more work than going to them.  I usually put on a session or two at them also which seems like a bit of work at the time.  Compared to putting the thing together doing a few hour session is cake.  I was up late socializing and then up early to prep things for the first sessions.  I stressed myself out, slept poorly, and exhausted myself to the point that i have felt sick since Saturday evening.  We had Jason Avery and Tom Martin (both from Fairbanks) staying with us.  Now i’m trying to get a few work projects closed up before the end of the fiscal year in a month and a half.

I took Monday and Tuesday of to rest and i did a pretty good job of not doing much at all.

Saturday night i’m playing music for Niccole Holtzinger and Bob Olsen’s wedding and reception.  The rehearsal is tonight.  I’m waiting for a software program to finish downloading so i can mix a song for the men to walk in to.  Nothing like leaving things to the last minute.  My laziness on Monday and Tuesday was pretty severe.

Next weekend is the Little Norway Festival.  I requested Thursday and Friday off because we’ll have Kevin and Bailee here as well as Don and Julie Spigelmyre.  This year is the 50th anniversary of the festival so there will be a few more people in town for it.

Download is almost done… better get back to work!

Weight room expansion

Originally uploaded by zieak

Last week city staff finished up the siding on the weight room expansion. Now the interior can be finished and opened up.

Today i bought four Lego sets at the hardware store during lunch.  They came to $202.24 after a 70% discount.  They originally retailed at $635.96.  Two of the sets were identical and originally cost $249.99.  How could a Lego set cost that much?  It is the Lego Mindstorm base set which includes programmable robotic features, bluetooth integration (control the robot with a cell phone), motors, sensors and more.  I bought two so i could sell one on Amazon and pay for the cost of the purchase.  I also bought two other sets that are pretty valuable on Amazon also.  I have always felt a little shame in selling Lego.  Don’t worry family members — i never have sold any of the family collection.  In fact a number of people have given me their family’s collection and I have bought a fair amount on eBay and at garage sales.  But i did buy a set of train tracks at the thrift store for $2 which i listed on eBay and sold for more than $100 once.  I’m sure they went to a home that will use them more than i would have anyway.

Remember, i live in a temperate rainforest.  Last week i left the recycling bins out to rinse in the rain.  When i brought them in 24 hours later there was more than 3 inches in them.

Cena and i were on a team with Lynsey for Cranium last night.  We won $25 each as the top prize after we tipped Tiffany for putting it together and running it.  One of the questions was a definition with multiple choices and i knew the answer before looking at the options.  Crepuscular.  I know it because of wildlife biology class at Finger Lakes Community College.  I learned it because it describes animals that are active at dawn and dusk — they are not nocturnal or diurnal but crepuscular.

This week’s facial hair

Originally uploaded by zieak

I’m rarely ever clean shaven. I never have tried growing a massive beard like Earl is. But I do horse around with my facial hair. This time is odd because it involves a mustache which I don’t grow well. It won’t last long!

Here’s a scan of the back of the envelope that Mike and i used to sketch out the logo ideas on Thursday evening for Zoom Bikes.  I wonder just how much business is conducted on the back of envelopes and on paper napkins in bars and restaurants.

Last night i had a teleconference for the annual meeting for the Southeast Alaska Trail System (SEAtrails).  I’ve been involved with the group since the first conceptual meeting in 2001.  I was elected the chair of the SEAtrails board for the next year.  Fortunately, my term as the President of the Alaska Recreation & Park Association ends in just over two weeks.

Yesterday was the first day that the bike shop had skateboards and accessories.  We also think yesterday was the first time something was stolen from the bike shop.  At a minimum, three sets of skateboard wheels disappeared.  They are moved to a better spot now but we’re still out $60 or about $120 at retail.  We made $600.  So we had a 10% loss from theft just in that one day.  One fifth of our income for the day was lost to sticky fingers.

Cena dealt with this the first few days that Lux opened.  She had all but one of a particular style of thong stolen.

Here’s the painful part.  Stealing from Cena is actually taking her money.  Her retirement is invested in that business.  Every thong stolen is coming right out of her pocket.  Thefts have to be worth more than $100 each or total more than 10% of your gross income in order to be deducted from taxes.  At the bike shop Mike and I have been putting our own money in to pay the bills lately.  So we have also just had kids reach into our pockets and take from us.

These stores are not giant faceless corporations.  This behavior really sucks.  Cena installed a surveillance system just before we left for Vietnam and it seems to have helped deter the pantie thieves.  But that’s a few hundred dollars she could have spent on inventory.

I whipped up a logo for Zoom Bikes over the weekend. Mike and i had a business meeting on Thursday and this was one of our highest priorities. Not that we really need it for the website (which we don’t have high expectations for) but for shirts and stickers and other merchandise.