In Conclusion

Remember the challenge I posted earlier? Well, I managed to convince 19 other people to sign up! Woohoo! I learned that it is hard to convince people to sign up for something that will make them work, and even harder to get them to actually do it. Maybe if I made it a group effort there'd be accountability... I can't bare the thought of leading 19+ people on a hike or a run... Then there are the people who, when set loose, make you run for your money.

At the end of it all, (it's arguably still going on) I set my personal goals nearly perfectly. I was rather impressed; they were seemingly lofty at times, but I pulled it off. And as a result, I shaved about 1:30/mile off of a race time this year. I beat my Lost Lake time by 26 minutes! (All because I have never hiked so much trying to keep up with some of the people on this challenge...)

Half of me is feeling so lazy right now that I really don't want to have to do this next summer, but I think I'll be on the ENSTAR Lost Lake team for the duration of my employment.

Speaking of employment...

I'm so excited to be a priority member of Era Airlines!! I get to board first! On a 30 minute flight. With 19 seats. But I gain flight points faster now!! To fly wherever they do! In Alaska. Mostly on the west coast. yay... I can fly to Bethel, Cordova, Kodiak...

Actually, the last two might be potential options for fishing.

"I don't know how you can do it; going to the same place and doing the same thing everyday?" (someone's remark about my job)

"After nearly 10 years consulting, take my word, this side of the equation is much nicer, it's never the same" (my boss' summary of my job)

I tend to lean towards my boss, (maybe that will get me a raise...) especially considering that I only go to the same place 3 or 4 times a week, and hardly ever do the same thing. Last week, I reported twice to 2 locations, at odd hours, and had monumental challenges to solve. It's really inconvenient when valves don't seal and you're needing the gas shut off...

But, ooo! I saw an awesome physical property. *Rule of thumb: for every 17psi change in pressure of natural gas, there is a 1F degree change in the temperature* If you raise pressure, temperature goes up, and vice versa. So, when you open up a valve with a 560psi pressure differential across it, and the ground temperature is already about 38F, you get a lot of ice.

Then! Throttle back the valve so there is less gas moving through it, and what was iced now thaws. But only where the gas isn't flowing.

What you see below is frost from the cold gas, and what happens when gas goes through a 90 degree bend: it swirls.

Steel Candy Cane

Yeah... I don't see this everyday...