range anxiety

Greetings!  As posted on April 30, my “green” evolution drove my interest in moving from a hybrid to a completely electric vehicle. After a fair amount of studying the matter, I happily purchased a Nissan Leaf. Surprisingly the electric car has a fair amount of power. It’s much zipper than my 2005 Toyota Prius. The Leaf has a number of nonessential amenities I came to appreciate. However, I fixated on the mileage with every single outing. On a full charge the Leaf can go plus or minus 100 miles. When I was considering the purchase that seemed plenty as my daily commute never exceeds 60 miles. 

Here are the mileage quirks: the 100 electric miles do not actually work as a true true mile for mile. The Leaf uses extra energy 9miles) when climbing hills and during Interstate travel. The heater also draws on the power source and deletes the number of miles. Thus, on a full charge the 60 mile commute used over 80 units of power in cold weather. Since I’ve been posting on this site, I have been clear about my distaste for being cold. In tandem these items led to a severe case of range anxiety. Furthermore, the occasion change of plans during a day or inability to secure a charging station (regular cars parked in reserved charging spaces) caused mileage concerns for me.

Outside of the range anxiety, the great state of Georgia withdrew all incentives for having an alternate vehicle. Moreover, the Georgia legislature further penalized electric car drivers for their environmental commitment by tacking on a $200 charge to the annual ad valorem taxes. I crumbled under the stress of it all.

Though I loved the idea of having a fully electric car, now is not the time. Thus, I returned to the hybrid. To my delight the 2015 Prius increased the capacity of the electric mode giving it an average of 55 miles per gallon. If you drive carefully you can get 60. Funny enough, after the transition back to a hybrid I remain fixated on millage, now I am celebrating more miles rather less.

Avoid range anxiety. Run.

Tom

A Time of Thanks

Greetings!  I have so very much gratitude for the wonders of life. This Thanksgiving gave way to sharing appreciation, meals and life with many family members and friends. In the Atlanta area the weather was superb for the Half Marathon and outdoor activities during the holiday week.  

We enjoyed the sunshine and warm days for outing at Kennesaw Mountain and local parks. Cyber Monday was a bit overcast, but the temperature was wonderful.  We were surprised to find it so warm outside when we began our daily exercise at 5:00. Yes, I did mean "we."  Shannan has truly captured the spirit of regular exercise.  That, too, is something for which I am thankful. It’s great to celebrate good health, but phenomenal to exercise together. 

Be thankful. Enjoy good weather. Run.

Tom

More on the Bayeux Tapestry

Greetings!  October 23 I posted about our visit to North East Georgia and a happy surprise of seeing a replica of the Bayeux Tapestry.  You can read that here: http://drtlp.blogspot.com/2015/10/weekend-tour-leads-to-tapestry.html

Below is a podcast about that fantastic work where history and art get woven into one magnificent piece.

Enjoy the Humanities. Run.

Tom

The Same and Change

Greetings!  We spent the weekend in a Yurt at Cloudland Canyon State Park. This was our second time to camp in the Park, third stay to Cloudland Canyon for a weekend and first time to sleep in a Yurt. A Yurt is a wonderful invention of the Steppe that has been in use for thousands of years. Basically, a Yurt is a circular, mobile tent. We really enjoyed the concept, and our stay in the Yurt. In fact, we are seriously considering purchasing one for ourselves.  

As noted above, I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Cloudland Canyon and have had several opportunities to go running inside and out the State Park. During this stay, I opted to exercise inside the Yurt Saturday and Sunday. It was particularly chilly Sunday, but that’s not what kept me from running. The narrow and winding roads that I have traversed previously held markedly less appeal. I just didn’t feel the urge to negotiate the limited space with moving vehicles, especially given I have run there in the past. So, I tried new cardio and resistance programs inside the Yurt. This proved promising as Shannan and I talked about future possibilities of getting a Yurt of our own.

Enjoy the new and the familiar. Exercise,

Tom

Good Night and Good Morning

My run in the St. Germaine area of Paris, France at 4:45AM found women, men and couples strolling in the early morning. Taxi drivers hawked for riders and police officers dealt with a pile of fellows caught up in some skirmish, no doubt alcohol induced. I assumed most of the folks were not early risers, but rather had not yet been to bed. Early morning runs in Iceland, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Peru and Chile led to similar situations. Other than encountering other people on the streets, I ran around the tremendous Pantheon. I wanted to run in the Luxembourg Gardens. Unfortunately, it was gated and locked.

 

For some a good evening was coming to a close. For me, a grand day began. Shannan and I toured the inside of the amazing Pantheon later that morning and took a short walk in the garden as well. Both were well worth the wait.

 

Whatever the hour, RUN.

 

Tom

Weekend Tour Leads to Tapestry

Greetings!  Shannan and I exercised very early. Then we joined our friend and took off for a grand adventure in our typical Shannan, Joel and Tom style. First thing Saturday morning the three of us lit out for northeast Georgia. Our itinerary called for a stop at Goats on a Roof, Jaemor Farms, Babyland General (birthplace of the Cabbage Patch Kids), the Mule Camp Festival in Gainesville, lunch downtown and a tour of the North East Georgia History Center on the Brenau University Campus.

Things went splendidly. When we arrived at our last stop, the North East Georgia History Center, and the great day meter went off the gauge. A very kind woman at the information desk made several references to a Tapestry. She assumed we had come to see it. We had not. We began our tour outside in the memorial gardens. Once we finally made our way inside to the main exhibit hall, I immediately realized what she meant about the Tapestry.

The Tapestry is a hand painted replica of the Bayeux Tapestry. The piece has been acquired by the University of North Georgia. This one of kind full-size reproduction of the Bayeux Tapestry depicts historic events leading up to the Norman invasion of England. The original embroidered tapestry was completed in the 1070s and is currently housed in the Bayeux Cathedral in France. The tapestry stands as both a masterpiece of medieval art and a tremendous historic artifact that explains the Norman conquest of England via hand stitched illustrations.

It was a fantastic opportunity to happen upon the Tapestry for many reasons. One, the Tapestry is a real gem. Two, it was only displayed for one week. Finally, I was so inspired that I am arranging to have the Tapestry brought to our campus in the spring.

Exercise and Explore.

Tom