Back in town
After 10 days of being on the road I'm back! I'll post pictures as soon as I get them loaded onto the computer!!
What a long 10 days but Beverly Hills and Vegas were tons of fun, but i'm glad i'm back!
Posted by lilwolf at 3:35 PM
I'm so bad...
I'm so sorry that i've been so horrible updating this but if you knew what work has been like you'd understand.
Work is great, it gets overwhelming at times but I truly love what i'm doing. The perks of traveling are going to start rolling in shortly and I cant wait to take advantage of them.
Here is what my summer schedule looks like so far:
May 1-3: Chicago
May 16-20: Beverly Hills
May 20-25: Las Vegas
July 10-16: Toronto
and for my vacation..
August 4-20: Italy
What a great summer! I'm sure i'll plan some other side trips in there as well. I know i'm going to Richmond next month to visit Bethy, I'm hoping to visit Kirk sometime soon but I'm not sure if that will be while he's in Philly or when he moves to Charlotte. Anyone want me to add you to the list let me know!!
I'm working on contacting the friends i've let slip away this last year or two, I started that this weekend by getting in touch with some and starting conversations again. I plan to keep doing that! I'm tired of being isolated out here and feeling like I have no one to turn to. Again, I apologize to all of you i've lost contact with I promise I'm working on fixing that!
I'll try to work on updating this more...I know i'll have tons to say after my trip to Chicago! If anyones been there and has places I must see let me know!
Posted by lilwolf at 7:12 PM
It all begins with Fire....
A constantly burning flame was a regular fixture throughout Greece. It usually graced the altars of the Greek gods. At the start of the Olympic Games, the Greeks would ignite a cauldron of flames upon Hera's altar. The flame would burn throughout the Games as a sign of purity, reason, and peace.
For each Olympics, a new flame is started in the ancient Olympic stadium in Olympia, Greece, using a parabolic mirror to focus the rays of the Sun. This flame begins its Olympic Torch Relay by touring Greece. The flame is normally taken to the country where the games will be held, the flame is then carried around the country where the games are to be held using any means of human conveyance. The last runner uses a torch to light the large Olympic torch which burns throughout the games. The flame is extinguished during the closing ceremony. A new Olympic torch is designed for each of the games.
I truly never knew the torch was so significant and held such meaning for each individual Olymipics. After finding this out I did some research at
howstuffworks.com to find some more information and it was fascinating.
Several design teams submit proposals to the Olympic Committee for the opportunity to create and build the torch. The team that wins the assignment will design a torch that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. The first torch used in the modern Olympics (the 1936 Berlin Games) was made of a thin steel rod topped with a circular piece from which the flame rose. It was inscribed with a dedication to the runners.
The look of the modern Olympic torch originated with John Hench, a Disney artist who designed the torch for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. His design provided the basis for all future torches. Since then, designers have tried to create a torch that represents the host country and the theme for that Olympic Games.
A torch can take a year or two to design and build. And once the torch has been built, it must be tested rigorously in all kinds of weather conditions. The torch must then be replicated ... and replicated. It's not just one torch making the journey to the Olympic stadium; it's thousands. Anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 torches are constructed to accommodate the thousands of runners who carry them through each leg of the Olympic relay. Each runner has the opportunity to purchase his torch at the end of his leg of the relay.
Although torch design and construction vary from year to year, the torch must always contain the same basic elements:
-fuel to create the flame
-a fuel delivery system to get the flame out of the top of the torch
-an aerodynamic design that is both lightweight and safe for the runner to carry
The torch must stay lit the entire length of its journey. It must survive wind, rain, sleet, snow, and a variety of climates (desert, mountain, ocean). The torch must also:
-Be light enough so that it is comfortable for each runner to carry (usually between 3 and 4 pounds)
-Protect the runner from the heat of the flame (as well as from hot debris falling from the flame)
-Carry enough fuel to stay lit for the entire leg (and a bit extra, in case the leg takes longer than anticipated)
-Have a bright flame that is visible even on a sunny day
For fuel, early torches burned everything from gunpowder to olive oil. Some torches used a mixture of hexamine (a mixture of formaldehyde and ammonia) and naphthalene (the hydrogen- and carbon-based substance in mothballs) with an igniting liquid. These substances weren't always the most efficient fuel sources, and they were sometimes dangerous. In the 1956 games, the final torch in the relay was lit by magnesium and aluminum, burning chunks of which fell from the torch and seared the runner's arms. (OMG can you imagine, it must have sucked!!)
The first liquid fuels were introduced at the 1972 Munich games. Torches since that time have carried liquid fuels -- they are stored under pressure as a liquid, but burn as a gas to produce a flame. Liquid fuel is safe for the runner and can be stored in a lightweight canister.
The Olympic torch is lit several months before the start of the actual games. The flame begins its journey at the site of the original Olympic Games -- Olympia, Greece. It is lit, just as it was in ancient times, at the Temple of Hera.
An actress dressed as a ceremonial priestess, in the robes of the ancient Greeks, lights the torch via the same technique used in the original Games. She uses a parabolic mirror to focus light rays from the sun. The parabolic mirror has a curved shape. When it is held toward the sun, the curvature focuses the rays to a single point. The energy from the sun creates a great deal of heat. The priestess holds a torch in the center of the parabolic mirror, and the heat ignites the fuel in the torch, sparking a flame.
If the sun is not shining on the day of the lighting ceremony, the priestess can light the torch with a flame that was lit on a sunny day before the ceremony.
The flame is carried in a fire pot to an altar in the ancient Olympic stadium, where it is used to light the first runner's torch. For the Winter Games, the relay actually begins at the monument to Pierre de Coubertin (the man who founded the modern Olympic games in 1896), which is located near the stadium.
Pretty cool, huh? I never knew there was this amazing and interesting history to it. Here are some more nifty tidbits about the latest torches.
2000 Sydney torch-The architecture of the Sydney Opera House, the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and the subtle curve of the boomerang inspired the design of the torch. The torch includes three layers which are representative of earth, fire and water.
2002 Salt Lake City torch-The Salt Lake City Olympic torch was made of crystal to resemble icicles. It was designed to represent that year's theme, "Light the fire within." The torch is made of the following key elements: lightweight glass (symbolising winter and ice); old silver (the West, flowing water); very shiny silver (the heart, the speed of the athletes) and copper (fire, passion, the history of Utah). The silver grooves of the torch are evocative of the texture of pure ice. For the first time, the Olympic flame was made to spring up through a frosted glass orifice, thus symbolising the flame which burned within each one of the runners.
2004 Athens torch-The Athens Olympic torch resembles an olive leaf, a symbol of Greece and of peace. Its form was drawn from the leaf’s lines and its harmonious shape. The torch's design was selected to enhance the flame with its upward dynamic shape.
2006 Torino Torch-The style concept behind the design is innovative: it is a modern reinterpretation of the traditional torch made of wood; the flame envelopes the body of the torch, instead of coming out of a hole on top, as has been the case in the past.As for the materials used, the outside shell is made of aluminium; the inside fittings are of steel, copper and techno-polymers, and for the surface finish, a special paint is used that is resistant to high temperatures.
Ok, I guess thats a long enough post....time for me to let you read!
Posted by lilwolf at 5:48 PM
To Infinity and beyond!!!
What a spectacular night I had last night! I came home from work, around 8:30 and the first thing I noted when I stepped out of my car was how amazing the sky looked. Everything was so clear and my favorite constellation Orion was blazing, I had never seen him look so radiant. I walked into my house and the first thing I said to Steve was tonight is the perfect night to look for Saturn. Steve was lucky enough to have gotten a magnificient telescope for Christmas (see picture). His dad brought it up to our place a month or so ago and due to weather, time or any other random reason we hadn't gotten the chance to break it out and use it.
Oh boy, last night we did and what a site we got to see! A view of Saturn and its rings through a telescope is one of the most spectacular sights in the entire night sky. You never forget the first time you see it and I can happily say that was the second time for me. The first being back in Blacksburg when I took astronomy at Virginia Tech, there I got to see it with a bigger telescope but the feeling was still the same. I can't even begin to explain how it feels to see it, when you first glimpse it in your telescope you think you're seeing things. There is no way it looks exactly like the pictures in the book, there is no way I can see not only the planet but I can see its rings and the space between!! Its incredible!!
We had a lot of fun plotting the stars on a chart, finding the right location and getting the telescope on it. It was a little tricky since we're still getting the hang of using the telescope but when we finally found it and had it dead center in our eyepiece, we were richly rewarded for the hard work.
If you have never gotten to see Saturn through a telescope I highly suggest contacting your local astronomy club to find out about their next viewing night. It's worth the effort just to see Saturn through a telescope. We're going to go out again tonight and hope that Steve's father can join in the fun as well!! My next goal with Saturn is to one day see its moons, for that Steve and I will have to upgrade our lense and get a higher magnification. I can't wait until tonight to see it again and I cant help but think about the next planet we'll get to see.
I leave you with some fun facts about the planet Saturn:
General-One of five "naked eye" planets known to the ancients. Saturn is named for the Roman god of agriculture, also linked to Kronos, Greek god of time, father of Jupiter and king of the gods. (The others are Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter)
-Yellowish color; at times the 3rd brightest planet in night sky
Physical Characteristics-Second largest planet in the solar system, after Jupiter.
-Equatorial diameter 120,536 kilometers (74,898 miles) at cloud tops
-Polar diameter 108,728 kilometers (67,560 miles), making it the most oblate (flattened) planet.
-Density 0.69 (water = 1), the least dense planet and the only one lighter than water
-Volume 764 times that of Earth, but only 95 times more massive
-Chemical composition primarily hydrogen and helium, thus accounting for its low density
Orbit-Sixth planet from the Sun, between Jupiter and Uranus
-Mean distance from Sun 1.43 billion kilometers (890 million miles), approximately 10 times the distance from Earth to the sun
-Brightness of sunlight at Saturn 1 percent of that at Earth
-Length of a Saturn year is 29.42 Earth years
-Length of a Saturn day is 10 hours, 39.4 minutes
-Poles tilted 29 degrees relative to the plane of its orbit around the Sun
Environment-Saturn's atmosphere above clouds is approximately 94 percent hydrogen and 6 percent helium
-Winds near Saturn's equator blow toward east at 500 meters per second (1,100 miles per hour), making Saturn the windiest planet
-Temperature at Saturn's cloud tops -139 C (-218 F)
Previous Exploration-Pioneer 11 flyby September 1, 1979
-Voyager 1 flyby November 12, 1980
-Voyager 2 flyby August 25, 1981
Rings-Saturn's main ring system would barely fit in the space between Earth and its Moon
-Ring names are alphabetical in order of their discovery
-B ring often contains radial spokes of dust-sized material; their appearance changes with time as they appear, change and disappear frequently
-"Cassini Division" between the B ring and A ring is sparsely populated with ring material
-E ring is densest at the orbit of Enceladus and may be fed by Enceladus eruptions
Moons-Saturn has 33 known moons, 15 of which were discovered after Cassini launched
-Titan is the largest of Saturn's moons, and is larger than the planets Mercury and Pluto
Posted by lilwolf at 9:48 AM
NASCAR not just for the boys anymore!!!
According to an ESPN Sports Poll, 42% of the NASCAR fans are women!! In fact, women 18 to 34, many of whom attend the races with children in tow, are the fastest-growing segment of NASCAR's TV fans. My obsession with this sport is thanks to my boyfriend and his evil playstation game. I was told as soon as I picked a driver I'd be hooked and boy were they right!!
Women say they are drawn to NASCAR because of the charismatic drivers (aka HOT) and family-friendly atmosphere. Like men, they are attracted to speed and the excitement that permeates race day.
Nextel Cup race day combines the elements of an auto-themed amusement park, a family barbecue and an autograph show.
Today is the biggest day in the NASCAR season, even if it is the first race of the season, the Daytona 500!! What a day its going to be, if its anything like the other races I have seen this week today is going to be a great race with lots of excitement and great things to see from my favorite driver (see picture above-isn't he soooooo cute)!!!
I know what you're thinking, isn't NASCAR just a bunch of cars going counterclockwise as fast as they can until someone crosses the finish line first? Well, yes. But you could also say that modern painting is just a matter of slapping oil on canvas.
So, coutdown to green is on and we're at 2 hours and 13 minutes until Boogity Boogity Boogity, Let’s Go Racing Boys (Girls)!
Posted by lilwolf at 11:12 AM
Falling down the stairs to save time
and yes, it does hurt. I can't sit down now, or turn my neck correctly. Things I've learned: Falling down the stairs may save time but it's definitely not worth it!!!
Posted by lilwolf at 5:45 PM
Helping in the Fight Against Breast Cancer
Did you know that every three minutes, another woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer? Every three minutes. It's INSANE!!
On April 29-30, 2006, I'll spend the weekend walking, along with thousands of other people, in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I will walk at least the distance of a marathon (26.2 miles), and I may choose to walk as far as a marathon and a half. I will also raise at least $1,800 in donations to the cause.
I know that many of you probably have personal experience with this disease as do I. I'm going through this at work with one of my coworkers, she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in December, she's already had 2 operations and is now going through an intense schedule of chemo till August. Steve, my boyfriend, has been also touched by this. One of his closest friends, Ashley, has been diagnosed. I can't believe she is only 26 and has already had 1 operation and is possibly facing chemo herself.
The money raised is managed and disbursed by the Avon Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity with a mission is to fund access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer. The Avon Foundation funds both local and national organizations in five key areas: medical research’, education and early detection programs; clinical care; and support services, all with a focus on the medically underserved. Please help to support my efforts and this critically important cause by making a generous contribution. You can make your donation online by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message, which will bring you right to my personal page.
Please remember as you're making your donation that in less than the time it took to read this e-mail, another woman in the U.S. was diagnosed with breast cancer.
You can also help me by passing this message along to others who may be interested in being a part of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.
PLEASE DONATE HEREIf you would like more information about Avon Walk for Breast Cancer or you would actually like to get involved yourself,
visit them here.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post, and for all those who help.
Posted by lilwolf at 5:02 PM
Hello Stranger, nice to see you again!
Here I am returning back again into the world of blogs, thanks to all those that emailed me asking me where the hell I was and when I was going to post again. It's been a crazy year, gone through many changes with I'm sure many more to come. I'm going to be doing something new with this blog, I'll still use it for my personal thoughts, venting and dishing about my awesome job as a Meeting Planner but I'm going to try to add a lot more to it. You're going to see a whole lot of disucssion on Sex, Politics, Religion, the whole enchilada!! I'm going to try to make a difference with this blog, even if it helps and touches one person it will have been worth it. Now enough of the chit-chat, it's nice to have my soapbox back!
Posted by lilwolf at 4:48 PM
