My Review of REI Neo Jacket - Men's Extended Sizes

Originally submitted at REI

REI Neo, our everyday soft-shell jacket, is water-resistant, breathable and surrounds you in four-way stretch comfort.

REI Neo Jacket - Men's Extended Sizes

People keep trying to steal my Neo!

By donmiguel from Dallas, Texas on 12/19/2008

 

5out of 5

Gift: No

Fit: Feels true to size

Sleeve Length: Feels true to length

Chest Size: Feels true to size

Pros: Lightweight, Comfortable, Waterproof, Warm, Breathable, Durable

Best Uses: Casual Wear, Cold Weather

Describe Yourself: Casual Adventurer

I have to keep very close track of this jacket. People want to try it on and then want to walk off while wearing it. I find the smooth, professional look, lines, drape, and technology of the fabric to bridge the gap between Urban Dweller and Occasional Adventurer. Although alone it does not provide sufficient protection against extreme cold, it would be an excellent addition in layers. I opted for this product over a name brand with a direction in its name and am THRILLED with my decision!

(legalese)

No Hard Feelings...to the Democrats

Well, Election Day is over,

Thank God the talking is done.

My party lost,

But your party won.

So let’s all be friends again,

And let all arguments pass.

I'll go hug my elephant,

You can kiss your ass. ☺

A Catholic Halloween

A cabbie picks up a Nun. She gets into the cab, and notices that the VERY handsome cab driver won't stop staring at her. She asks him why he is staring.

He replies: 'I have a question to ask you but I don't want to offend you.'

She answers, 'My son, you cannot offend me. When you're as old as I am and have been a nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just about everything. I'm sure that there's nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive.'

'Well, I've always had a fantasy to have a nun kiss me.'

She responds, 'Well, let's see what we can do about that: #1, you have to be single and #2, you must be Catholic.'

The cab driver is very excited and says, 'Yes, I'm single and Catholic!'

'OK' the nun says. 'Pull into the next alley.' The nun fulfills his fantasy, with a kiss that would make a hooker blush.

But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying.

'My dear child,' says the nun, 'why are you crying?'

'Forgive me but I've sinned. I lied and I must confess, I'm married and I'm Jewish.'

The nun says, 'That's OK. My name is Kevin and I'm going to a Halloween party.'

Becoming Real

When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become real. ~ Margery Wilson

Intimacy with another is a necessary risk if we're to know love. This means loving enough to let someone in on our most hidden parts, daring to share the awful truths about ourselves. When we hold a dreaded memory within, or fail to disclose our darkest secret, we're haunted by the fear that another's love is both conditional and long gone if the truth about us is revealed.

Though seldom remembered, one of the greatest tributes we can give one another is full expression of who we were, who we are, and who we hope to become. During any single moment, we are a composite of feelings, memories, and projections. Our reality is many faceted, and being intimate requires that we enrich each other's lives with the full expression of ourselves.

Rest in peace, Phoebe.

Phoebe has been sick for the last six weeks or so. When I noticed that she had stopped eating and drinking, I took her to the vet and she diagnosed her with a liver illness. The vet told me that I had to get Phoebe eating again or to hospitalize her for 6 weeks. For the last six weeks or so, I have been feeding her twice a day by syringe. However, she still was not eating. She was hiding in the closet or under the bed most of the day and moving around less and less. Of course, she was also losing a lot of weight.

So, this afternoon I took her to the vet for another visit and the doctor said that she wasn't going to get any better. Because she is already a geriatric cat - I've had her since I moved back to Dallas in 1995 - I opted to go ahead and have her put down.

Its amazing how attached I have become to her. Of all that has gone on in my life over the last 13 years, she's been the most consistent figure. Could she tell some stories! I think the things I'll miss most about her are the way she would greet me at the door when I come home, our afternoon naps, and how she would always sleep up on the bed with me during cold winter nights. She was a sweet cat and my house will be even quieter than it usually is without her.

How are you doing? How am I doing?

Friendship is a gift one never tires of opening.

Just as the ivy that grows on a windowsill requires water and light, our friendships need care and nourishment. We might wish that a good friend would be there whenever we wanted. But we get so busy scrambling to cover all the bases in our lives that we lose touch with friends, even with our partner. We neglect even to ask, "How are you doing?" "How am I doing?"

In spite of our busyness, the time we take for a brief telephone call can make us feel more relaxed and less busy. These seemingly small attentions are important to friendships and instill the spirit of human warmth and care into our lives. It reminds us again of what gives us meaning and opens us up to the affectionate feelings in our partnership.

CouchSurfing Serendipity

What serendipity?!

I am staying with some new friends in Cape Cod through CouchSurfing.com. What a different experience it is to stay with locals, versus staying in a sterile Motel 6. Granted, I give up a bit of my autonomy, privacy, selfishness, but end up gaining a sense of family, connectedness, inclusion, and making new friends.

Through CouchSurfing I had had the most interesting experiences. Staying with my new friends has allowed me to be included in a ~free~ whale watching expedition and even share dinner with a locally-based Grammy winning photographer. I cannot recommend CouchSurfing highly enough!

www.couchsurfing.com
www.rowlandscherman.com

Boston

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Parrot 3200 LS-Color

You can have your cute little iPhone.

I've evolved.

Meet my new Parrot 3200 LS-Color! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The Gift of Problems

In life, the difficult periods are the best periods to gain experience and shore up determination. As a result, my mental status is much improved because of them. ~ The Dalai Lama

Life is a process of meeting and solving problems. Solving problems is a way that we test and develop our spiritual muscle. Think of outstanding people such as Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and Helen Keller. Lincoln faced the problem of a divided country; Gandhi, an oppressed India; Keller, her personal handicaps. In rising to meet their vision, courage, fortitude, and compassion, they became great -- not in spite of, but because of their problems.

Problems often come to us in the form of crisis. The Chinese glyph for the word crisis contains two symbols; one means danger and the other opportunity. When an obstacle is before you, use it to create a beneficial result. As with Lincoln, Gandhi, and Keller, let your problems bring out your greatness.

Rather than pray for a life that is problem-free, ask for one that is solution-full. Instead of requesting that God remove the mountain before you, seek the strength to climb it. Remember that the best students always get the toughest problems. Love the problems you have, and their priceless gifts will be yours.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. ~ Romans 5:3-5

Free Movie Ticket - Get Smart

Hey! Just came across a free movie ticket - print as many as you'd like! - to see Get Smart at the Studio Movie Grill in Addison, Texas, the week of June 20-26. Enjoy!

Vocal Majority Performs at the Ft Worth Botanical Gardens

New Element Discovered!

Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second to take from four days to four years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2-6 years; It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Slideshow - Vacation to Italy

Slideshow - The Cruise

Our Flowers are in Bloom!

Rome & Pompeii, Italy

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Tuscany Hill Country - Siena, Italy

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Florence, Italy

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After just a lovely time in Venice, I traveled to Florence via the Eurostar Train network, the European answer to the Japanese bullet trains...though still not as fast. However, in a matter of 2.5 hours, I traversed 165 miles more comfortably than in a plane. It was a great and fast trip. Upon arrival, I went directly to the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth Convent on Via Michelangelo, and checked in. It’s a different experience than staying in a hostel or hotel to stay in a convent. It was very clean, regimented...almost institutional. Yet, as I expected, there was a real peace and stillness about the grounds. By far, this was the most beautiful of all my accommodations - including the Carnival Freedom. Breakfast was included in my accommodations...as were table assignments and a German-speaking tablemate. Turns out that all of the nuns and most of the guests were all German-speakers. Just when I feel like I'm getting a little more comfortable with my buongiornos and no parlo italiano...I have to switch to gutenmorgen and no sprechen zi deutch. My brain hurt. And they'd have none of this Spanish business either. Actually, the nuns did speak Italian and we were able to come to an understanding. They were especially 'understanding' when it came time to settle up the bill ☺

So, after getting settled into my cloister, I headed for Il Duomo...basically the main church at the center of downtown Florence. Although I caught a bus downtown, I was consistently amazed by how many people were walking from place to place. Of course, there was the occasional Vespa (which I now understand means "wasp" in Italian) and the gas-crises' answer to the automobile, but for the most part people just walked from point A to point B. That also probably has a lot to do with why the only overweight people I ever saw were the tourists...getting in and out of their air conditioned busses and being led around by the nose by their Disneyesque daisy-wielding, Brittany headset-wearing tour guides. I walked around old Renaissance Florence and was completely enamored by the romance, history, and rhythm of this ancient city. While being carried along by these heady currents, I was swept into a small store and got a small...very small...bowl of pistachio and coconut gelato. After I had paid my €6 and continued down the street, once again in current of the Italian Lazy River, I realized that I had paid $9 for about 1/3 of a pint of ice cream. I laughed at the irony of the effort I had exerted to find the best deals for disposable thrift store clothes before I left, only to drop a ten-spot on two scoops in Italy.

I found my way into the Medici Chapel and saw where they're buried...along with Michelangelo's sculptures to honor them. Can you believe that I actually wept when walking around looking at those sculptures? I was actually reading Irving Stone's, The Agony and the Ecstasy...the fictionalized version of Michelangelo's life, from age 13 to his death. Perhaps that's what got me all verklempt. But I had the same overwhelming experience in Venice while riding the vaporetto at sunset down the Grand Canal.

The next day I had reservations at both the Accademia and the Uffizi, two of Italy's most popular museums and galleries. These were two other spots were reservations ahead of time saved me HOURS of standing in long lines. In the Accademia, I saw Michelangelo's original David. Although I've seen copies in other cities before, I am nevertheless always astounded at the sheer beauty of this sculpture...the perfection and artistic craft that went into freeing David from his block of white marble. I also went into the Santa Croce church, and saw the burial sites of Machiavelli (said, "the end justifies the means"), Marconi the physicist, Dante Alighieri the poet, Galileo the astronomer/scientist, and Michelangelo the artist - too sobering to walk among the final resting places of these HUGE men of history. Oh, yeah...I also saw John the Baptist's little finger. There's a picture of it if you're curious...and you know you are.

My last day in Florence, I took a leisurely morning just sampling espresso at any number of bars around the old city...actually, that's really no different than any other morning I spent in Italy...and then went to a half-day cooking class in a 1000 year old castle in the hills of Tuscany. I had originally signed up for the full day class, which included a tour of a winery - Oh yeah, it’s Italy. They even drink it for breakfast. - and sampling of olive oils. I changed my plans and opted just to meet up with the group later at the castle. While I waiting for them to arrive, I went to the top of the tower and looked out over the beautiful hillside. According to the owner of the castle, it was used by the Allies in WWII as a lookout post because of its great view. My host left me with a pair of binoculars and a hammock to rest until my other "cooks" arrived. While I was waiting, I noticed all these fresh herbs that they were growing on the roof of the tower. Upon closer inspection, I noticed one particular herb that is more commonly used in "baking." You'll have to just look at my pictures. We made homemade raviolis, filled with spinach, parmesan, and ricotta cheeses, and also fettuccini. After making our pasta, we cooked them and had lunch. The class and lunch were wonderful.

After saying so long to the Sisters of Saint Sassy, I was on my way to Siena...the hill country of Tuscany.

Venice, Italy

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Venice was so beautiful...my pictures don't really even do it justice. I've wondered which of the cities I visited in Italy was my favorite, but that's a tough question. Each city has its own character...qualities that make it so different from the other. Venice was definitely in its own category. A city made of islands, the only motorized transportation permitted are the water taxis and vaporettos, the motorized boats that zip the city's inhabitants and tourists around the island by way of the Grand Canal. Of course, there are the gondolas, used mostly by tourists and by locals for special occasions and weddings. I thought about dropping the €80 to ride around in one for an hour or so...but when I pictured myself, alone in a gondola in Venice, being serenaded by a confused and embarrassed gondolier...well, it was a scene I thought best kept to myself.

On the land portion of the island, the only way to get around is on foot...and you had better have two very capable feet to get from point A to point B. There are over 400 bridges spanning each of the little waterways around the island, some by slope and some by stair. Perhaps the smartest €3 that I spent my entire trip was on a map of Venice. With so many waterways, bridges, corners, etc., you cannot imagine how easy it is to get lost in such a small area. The map saved me numerous times when I ended up in blind alleys or in parts of the city that I couldn't identify. Fortunately, with so many blind corners and recessed doorways, I was able to "disappear" for a minute off the grid of very narrow pathways and reorient myself. Second only to ordering my coffee, I learned Italian for "Excuse me, please. Where is (fill-in-the-blank)?" without having to think about it. Even though I'm describing getting "lost" down dark alleyways, I never felt endangered or fearful. I was on an island, after all. As long as I wasn't underwater, I felt like my momentary misplacement of Michael would work itself out.

The city, itself, was beautiful. There were various piazzas around the city, filled in the evening with parents and children, lovers, and consumers of gelato. The most famous piazza was St. Mark's Square, the home of St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, and The Cafe Florian - a restaurant opened in 1720 (...that's a restaurant that is 56 years older than the United States) in St. Mark's Square that is reputed to be the first place in all of Italy to serve the glory known as Coffee. The also have a 5 piece string ensemble playing arias across the square...glorious.

The most astounding place I saw while in Venice was St. Mark's Basilica. It was filled with beautiful artwork, incredible sculptures, and priceless religious pieces...including the bones of St. Mark, the apostle, and various body parts from saints from around the world, called "relics." I'm not sure what it is with Italians or Catholics...but this was only the beginning of what became my personal interest in each of the churches I visited. In each church, I would look for the most unusual or bizarre relic I could find. I took pictures of some, but was mostly forbidden to take pictures out of respect for the sanctity of the "holy items" I was observing. Because St. Mark's is so popular on the tourist circuit, there was a line around the building, down the block, around the corner, and over what seemed like at least 200 of those 400 bridges. Thanks to Rick Steves, I read that large bags were not allowed inside the church...in the event one wished to abscond with the jaw of Lazarus, I suppose. Consequently, I checked a bag in this unmarked location near St. Marks and was given a small card with a number to reclaim my bag. Once I returned to St. Marks, I went directly to the door - to the head of the line - and walked right in by just flashing my numbered card to the doorkeeper. That little trick and the 3 hours it saved me (and no small amount of pleasure at seeing the confused look on the faces of those ill-prepared-line-waiting tourists as I walked past them into the church, hallelujah) was worth the price of admission.

Venice was really a beautiful city and a great place to experience. Later in my journey, I ran into a couple in Rome (actually from Dallas) who had been engaged in Venice just a week earlier. I could totally see that happening. Italy just seems to bring that out in people...at least from what I could tell as an outside observer. My coffee and I, however, had a lovely time together. ☺ On to Florence!