Let's Get Technical - LONG

For those of you following the blog, I wanted to explain some of the technology I’ll be using.   First, let me say, my laptop and cameras are password protected.  That means they are useless to anyone who tries to steal them…it’s the first thing a pawnshop will check for when you try to sell them.   Also, I’ll have a proximity alarm on my laptop and hidden somewhere in my camera gear.   If me and my gear are separated by more than a certain number of feet, all hell will break loose….that hell being a crazy canuck realizing he’s about to lose a large chunk of his material possessions and livelihood.

So, on with the technicals.

Photography:

Canon 20D – 8.x megapixel semiprofessional body that I make take professional pics (
Canon Rebel 300D – firmware upgraded to 10D capabilities.  This is my ‘backup’ body.

Sigma 70-200mm 2.8f   - My primary telephoto lens. Good for shooting sports
Sigma 28-105mm 2.8-4.5f – A good all-round utility lens.
Sigma 20mm 1.8f  - A not so bad wide angle good in low light situations
Canon 17-85mm  -  A good utility lens, comes standard on the Rebel
Sigma 2x extender – doubles the total length of any of these lenses.  When used on the 70-200mm, and combined with the 1.6x factor of the digital bodies, the effective maximum length is 640mm

Laptop:

Dell C540 – 1.7ghz Celeron, 768megs Ram, 20 gig harddrive
40 gig external USB 2.0 harddrive
Internal Wifi Card
PCMCIA Wifi/Cellphone Card – Works almost anywhere I can get a T-mobile signal
PCMCIA CF Card Reader
Cooling Pad with USB/Firewire hub
Windows XP Pro
Picasa 2 – Quick photo editing, and photoblog publishing capabilities
Photoshop CS2 – For all your photo editing needs
MS Office XP
Skype – Voice Over  IP telephone.  Username – hotshot38 –give me a call!

My Workflow:

Photos are loaded to the laptop via the CF Card Reader, usually auto-imported using Picasa2, but sometimes via copy/paste from folder to folder.   Once on the harddisk of the laptop, photos are culled quickly using Picasa2’s lightboard (library).   This allows me to quickly cull or pick similar photos for the one with the best result.   Photos to be kept and process are marked with a star.  
Once I’ve starred all the photos I wish to keep, I’ll start working with only those starred photos.   IF they do not require too much editing, I’ll usually crop, finetune lighting and color balance, and sharpen right in Picasa.   IF there is a certain filter that will make the photo look better, ie: soft focus, glow, b&w, I’ll apply that filter to the selected photo.

Once I’ve processed all the starred photos, I’ll select only the starred photos and export them to a new folder.   The originals are still intact.  After the photos have been exported, I’ll navigate to that folder, select one of the most interesting, and click on the ‘BlogThis’ button of Picasa.   This will in turn open up a new window with space to write some description about the selected photo.   After entering the text describing the photo, I’ll click on the Publish button (don’t forget to select and copy the text first, in case it gets eaten).   Picasa automatically resizes the photo for web viewing.   You can also click on the photo itself to get a larger version.

Voila!  A new blog entry is born.   A browser window will open confirming the new entry has been received.    Keep in mind, this is mostly done on the fly, no spellchecks were killed in the making of this blog….only the English language.

Of course, I need to be online in order to a blog entry this way.   I have two (or three) ways to get ‘online’.   First, via Wifi, or wireless 802.11b/g.  If I can find free wireless hotspots, that would be the preferred method.   I may have to pay a daily rate for a hotspot depending on where I am.   I read that some of the VIA Rail trains (in Canada) have wireless hotspots onboard, for a nominal daily fee.

If there are no hotspots available, and I do not need a high speed connection, I can usually get connected through my T-Mobile Internet card.   This is a PCMCIA card fitted in my laptop that dials into the internet via cell phone (GPRS) networks.   I should be able to get this anywhere T-mobile cell phones work, and on some roaming networks.   So far, the speeds here in the sticks of TX have been dialup or slower.   I hope that in the bigger cities the EDGE technology as T-mobile calls it will be a bit faster.   Regardless, it should be fast enough to update a blog wherever I’m connected.

For longer entries, like this one, I can type them up in MS Word; thereby ensuring that they are saved to disk, before attempting to upload to Blogger.    Many a good thought has been ‘eaten’ by the blog demons….it’s always a good habit to select and copy your text before hitting that publish button.

Telephony/Video:

Another piece of software that I use is Skype.  http://www.skype.com  This internet telephony software (VOIP) is a handy gadget.   I can call any of my friends who have Skype and talk for free, just as if it was a regular telephone.   I can even share my web cam for a video-phone experience.   It’s a little shaking so far testing on the t-mobile cell phone connection, but as stated, above, hopefully the technology will be faster elsewhere.

For pc-pc calls, use the nickname ‘hotshot38’ and try to give me a call.  
I can also phone any regular phone number on a pay-per-minute basis…anywhere in North America, it works out to around 1.5 cents per minute…..that’s about 6 hours of phone time for $10….not bad.

I also have a Skype-In number which allows anyone on a regular phone (including cell phone of course) to call my number and talk as if it were a regular phone call.  That cost me $35 a year….no charge on incoming calls.   I won’t publish the number here….only close friends and family.

My webcam is a cheapie.   At the extravagant price of $9.99 it clips onto my laptop monitor.   It also has ‘night-vision’: if it’s too dark 6 LED’s turn on and light me up.   So, I can be in complete darkness on the train, and if you SKYPE me, you’ll be able to see my video no problem…if we have a good connection that is.    I also use a headset/microphone for better quality and privacy.   It’s a bit cumbersome, but it works.  Great for listen to mp3’s also.

Speaking of which, I ripped my complete music collection onto my laptop before partaking on this adventure.  I don’t NEED music like many who can’t live without it, but I figure on a long and lonely highway….oops, almost broke into song there.   It’ll be good on those long nights when I can’t sleep and my eyes are bleary from too much reading (or blog typing).

Well, that’s just about it for the technology part.  I’ll have a radio scanner with me, but not sure how much train traffic I’ll listen to unless there is an emergency.   I’ll also have a GPS with me: the Garmin Etrex – Simple, but good enough for me.   I might do some geocaching at each stop I make, depending on how much time and other factors.   Check out www.geocaching.com   for more info on that.    

Thanks for getting through this.

A Pleasant Surprise

What a pleasant surprise I got today.   What was supposed to be lunch with a friend, turned into lunch with many friends.    My friend Bob A., a member of the local photography and computer clubs, and a wonderful author (The Reality Skew) sneakily arranged for a bunch of folks from the clubs to meet us at a local internet café, The Javabean.

What I like best about this place is 1) free internet hotspot, and 2) The Chicken Pesto sandwich.   And of course, sitting at the big round marble table with like-minded friends tops it all off.  So, I’m just going to give a shout-out to Bob, Charles, and Charles, Don and Lisa, and Dale.   Thanks for the hill country hospitality!   Lisa and Don even got to try out Skype, the internet telephony service that I use, when they talked to my friend Shaughn.   We even had live video camera setup from the café!

Tomorrow the wife and son are stopping by to pick up the cats, and a few other odds and ends they left here and now feel they need.   There’s enough stuff that we’ll need to take both cars, with the car topper too!   And since the Austin-San Antonio train says there’s no checked baggage, AND, since I’d have to spend a night in the station in San Antonio because the train leaves at 5:40am, I’m going to finalize my loose ends here in Marble Falls, TX., and spend the next couple of days putting the final touches on my travel plans, and spending some quality time with my stepson of 5 years…and the wife (soon to be ex).

Amtrak mentions they don’t like plastic containers for luggage.   And since throwing out my back a few days ago, I really don’t feel like lugging that big hockey bag full of stuff around train stations.   The wife has volunteered a couple of wheeled suitcases which should make life easier all around.   I can probably fit much of my camera gear in a carry-on, using the remaining space for a change of clothes, toiletries, snacks, etc.    A big rolling suitcase should take care of the rest of the clothes I’ll need, including some winter boots, sweaters, balaclavas, gloves, etc.   AND, I should be able to check one other ‘bag’…in this case, my computer, in it’s original box.   It’ll be much cheaper to carry with me than trying to mail it across the border and deal with customs/duties.  If it becomes TOO cumbersome I can probably store it at friends along the way, until such time I really need it sent to me.  It’s a neat, sturdy box with its own carrying handle.  And I think we have something where I can put some wheels on it too!  

Changes to Itinerary

Already a slight change in Itinerary.  First, I'll stay an extra day in Bakersfield, Ca so i can have dinner and go to a party with some old friends before departing the next day.   That might take a day off my stay in the Seattle area. The train from Vancouver, BC across Canada (The Canadian) only leaves on certain days.

Also, the train to Churchill, Manitoba  turns around after 12 hour stopover.  I think this will be enough time to wander the town for a bit....we'll see.  Otherwise, I'll have to book a couple of nights in a hotel/motel, and I only budgeted for one. I just don't think there's enough town to see to spend two nights up there.    Two days up, 12 hours there, 2 days back.   I think one of those nights will be a sleeper car.

Also, I’m testing a new Blogger plug-in for MS Word.  I really didn’t like the formatting problems when writing in pure text mode.  We’ll see how this works out….formatting, saved on disk….hopefully no more lost posts.   Of course, I’ll still use Picasa2 to post photos.

Rough Itinerary

"The follies which a man regrets most, in his life, are those which he didn't commit when he had the opportunity." - Helen Rowland

As it stands right now, the plan is as follows:

Travel to San Antonio on Saturday or Sunday, Jan 14th or 15th. Visit with my son and wife, and then catch the train at 5:40am on Tuesday morning, January 17th.

Depart San Antonio Jan 17th 5:40am ARR Los Angelas Jan 18th 10:10am
Depart Los Angelas Jan 18th 1:15pm via bus ARR Bakersfield Jan 18th 3:30pm

Stay with friends in Bakersfield for a couple of days.

Depart Bakersfield Saturday Jan 21st 5:40pm ARR Sacremento Jan 21 11:00pm
Depart Sacremento Saturday Jan 21st 11:59pm ARR Seattle Jan 22 8:30pm

Stay with friends near Seattle for a few days.

Depart Seattle Jan 27 7:45am ARR Vancouver, BC Jan 27 11:40am

Wander the streets of Vancouver for a few hours.

Depart Vancouver Jan 27 17:30pm ARR Winnipeg, MB Jan 29 11:20am

Wander the streets of Winnipeg for 8 hours

Depart Winnipeg Jan 29 20:45pm ARR Churchill, MB Jan 31 8:30am

Stay overnight, or two in Churchill, MB

Depart Churchill Feb 2 20:30pm ARR Winnipeg, MB Feb 4 8:05am

A dead day in Winnipeg....not sure what to do here. Maybe try to reschedule something.

Depart Winnipeg Feb 5 12:25pm ARR Toronto Feb 6 20:00pm
Depart Toronto Feb 7 8:30am ARR Niagara Falls Feb 7 10:21am

Stay with a friend in Niagara Falls for a few days.

Depart Niagara Falls Feb 13 6:45am ARR Toronto Feb 13 8:34am
Depart Toronto Feb 13 9:30am ARR Montreal Feb 13 14:26pm
Depart Montreal Feb 13 16:00pm ARR Quebec City Feb 13 18:50pm

Winter Carnival! Bonhomme Carnivale!

DEPART QUEBEC Feb 15 21:00pm ARR Halifax NS Feb 16 16:20pm

Information Please

*I had this blog all typed out and then it got eaten. First time that's happened with this program. I've decided to type up the blogs in notebook first before copying and pasting them into the blog itself. This will make it easier to sort out chronologically later.*

So, I phoned AMTRAK info to clear up a few questions I had about the North America Rail Pass. The main one was about the restriction of 'max of 4 one-way trips'. The operator, Kim, assured me this was mainly to discourage people from using it for commuting between cities. I should have no problem with this one.

The second question was whether I could use my AAA discount. She told me the price would be $488.70 after the discount. So, this is a savings of almost $60 that I wasn't expecting. Normal off-season price would be $543. We didn't discuss taxes, so I'm not sure what the total would be.

As far as reservations were concerned she advised me 'the sooner the better' and related stories of people not getting space on the train they wanted. With most trains running daily, that was not a big concern. But the train from San Antonio to LA only runs three days a week, and some in Canada too. I'll have to plan accordingly. One other note on reservations is that I have to reserve at least one trip in Canada (and one leg in USA) before the pass will be 'issued'. I'll have to figure out approx when I plan to hit Canada, and I guess I could always change reservation times/dates when I figured out more.

She also cleared up a question about checked baggage. It seems not all stations/stops HAVE checked baggage facilities. Austin to San Antonio being one of them. That kinda sucks, but maybe I'll have to leave from SA instead of Austin. One other thing it says is no plastic containers for checked baggage. Well, I was planning to bring at least ONE 5-gallon
rubbermaid. I've done so while travelling by plane before. That's gonna put a spanner in the works on that plan. I've been packing my 'must take with me' stuff in a rubbermaid. Along with 'ship later', and 'would be nice to keep but won't sweat loosing it' in other rubbermaids.

If I catch the train in San Antonio, it might work out better. It will also allow me some time to spend with my son before heading out. I still have to work out the details on that but heck, I still have a lot of details to work out before I leave anyways.

I plan to carry-on my two cameras and lenses, a laptop, and a very small bag consisting of shaving kit, change of underwear, and some snacks. With each leg lasting less than 48 hours I should be able to freshen up in the bathrooms, and refreshen at each stop I make. For checked baggage I have a big ol' hockey bag, where I can keep socks and underwear in one
compartment, shirts and pants in the main compartment, and winter stuff in another end compartment. Since I hope to do a leg up to Churchill, Manitoba, which is on the edge of Hudson Bay, in the coldest part of the winter, after spending 5 yrs not owning a snowshovel.....those will come in handy. I MIGHT be able to carry another checked bag, but it'll get a little hard juggling those thru train stations and such. I'm hoping train stations still have those pay-per-use lockers so I can stuff gear and do little walking tours with my cameras between waiting for trains, or waiting for friends to come pick me up
or such. I'm not sure, since 9/11 if they still have those.

BTW, just for future reference, the number listed on the AMTRAK site for info is correct, but the North America Rail Pass has a number set up specifically for it: 1-800-722-6137.

The Beginning

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." - Ts Eliot

And so it is from the ending of one phase of my life that I find the beginning to another adventure. For this phase, I've decided that the beginning should be as far removed from the ending as possible. So, I've decided to take a trip. A 30-day trip in fact. On a train -- or even numerous trains.

It's about 7 days from when I need to vacate the premises I'm in now. I'll be spending most of that time cleaning, organizing, organizing again, packing, repacking, until I get just what I need in the proper porportions, in the proper containers.

I still haven't bought the ticket yet -- a 30 day rail pass from Amtrak. Off-season price is $534. About the same price as if I flew straight home. The differences of course is that I could fly straight home and have no job/living quarters, or I could spend 30 days travelling North America, visit some friends, and arrive in Halifax with no job/living quarters.

I'm 90% sure I'm going. I have to make a decision by Tuesday, for reasons I won't disclose here. But last night I had a weird dream, of which I half remember. And if I interpret that dream correctly, my subconcious was telling me that the last thing I should be doing with a new beginning is depending on someone else. With what I've been through, it's important for me to find new independence, no matter the hardship. I'm reminded of the fork in the road...one fork is smooth and level, the other is rocky and uphill. I'll choose rocky and uphill for this new beginning; the smooth and level we'll work out later.

"Every man dies, not every man really lives." - William Wallace

I'm not a train buff. Maybe I will be by the end of the journey. I don't know if I'll bother to notice the engine #'s, or other details that I would find meaningless. This is about the message, not the medium. But maybe the medium IS the message -- to paraphrase a great Canadian.

If you want details, I suggest you visit this website: http://www.trainweb.com They have compiled a ton of train-related information. And reading the travel logs of people who have logged thousands upon thousands of miles over rails has been very helpful in preparing me for the trip. I want to personally thank Steve Grande who took the time to answer this noob's questions and get his advice and opinions on travel by Amtrak/Via Rail Canada.

I've chosen www.blogger.com to host my website because of how I can simply auto-resize photos and publish them with one click. I plan to take lots of photos, and my internet connection will be limited, most times, to dialup speeds. Ok for sending text, but I don't want to have to sit there and resize numerous photos to push across a dialup speed when I have a program that will do it automatically, AND make the blog entry.

I'll have my laptop, wifi-enabled, but probably with little wifi-access. Luckily I also have a T-mobile cellphone modem installed. THAT's the dialup speed I previously mentioned. I SHOULD be able to get a signal almost anywhere you can get a cellphone signal.

The problem with a 'blog'...and this goes for any online blog/journal, is that it's shows last post first. So, in order to read fluidly, you have to find the last place you left off and read from earliest to the latest. This can be a little frustrating if you've missed a couple of days. If you're really interested in keeping tabs on this journal, you can use it's RSS feed which I'll explain later. If you program the RSS link into something like your personalized Google homepage you'll be able to see updated posts anytime you open that homepage. I'll post a tutorial on how to setup your own Google personalized homepage for those with a Google account. There are many other ways to see RSS, including your Yahoo 360 page, and many aggregate RSS reading programs.

So, that's it for the beginning. And I haven't even bought the tickets.

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your front door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to."
- Bilbo Baggins