A Formal Affair at the Belo

On Saturday, September 24, Accenture returned to its former glory days pre-IPO and hosted a party at the Belo Mansion in downtown Dallas for its employees and invited us from Avanade to join in the celebration. I booked a room at the Westin City Center, which, by the way, is nowhere near as nice as the Westin Charlotte. FYI...



It was a great reunion of co-workers and friends and an opportunity to meet new faces amidst the open bar, gaming, and music & dancing from the likes of Journey and The Commodores.



After the party ended, we headed off to Dragonfly for more drinks and conversation. Thanks to Lora, Chris, Ashley, Chris, Lori, Ashley, David, and JLo for a wonderful evening with a special dammit to Lora for taking pictures of me during my afternoon manicure. And yet another evening where the likes of us get to hang out with hotties!!!

September Links of the Month

September Pint Nights at the Ginger Man

Pint Nights are every Tuesday starting at 4 pm. If you buy the beer of the day you get to keep the logo glass.

September 6th - Warsteiner glasses
September 13th - St. Arnold Oktoberfest glasses
September 20th - Mix & Match glasses
September 27th - Young's glasses

Additional Pint Nights this month
September 12th - Sam Adams Octoberfest glasses
September 14th - Hofbrau Oktoberfest glasses
September 15th - Spaten glasses

Sylvia's Last Ride

Here is another moving story I wanted to share with you regarding a family who very recently lost one of their daughters on a mountain biking trip in Moab, Utah...

Please go to the following links for more information:

Sylvia's Last Ride

Salt Lake Tribune article

A few of us returned from a mountain biking trip this past weekend, and we are looking forward to our next. As much fun as it is, like any other relatively extreme athletic pastimes, at times it can be quite dangerous.

Hopefully in the next coming days and weeks, I will have some more information to add on this subject...

July Pint Nights at the Ginger Man

Pint Nights are every Tuesday starting at 4 pm. If you buy the beer of the day you get to keep the logo glass.

July 5th - Maredsous glasses
July 12th - St. Arnold Christmas glasses
July 19th - Victory glasses
July 26th - Mix & Match glasses

15th Annual Fat Tire Classic

And the winner for the 3rd Annual Contest for the Crash Test Dummy Jersey is…



Fortunately (or unfortunately), there were no crashes this year. Slight blood was drawn from a few (including myself). And there were a few emergency dismounts. However, no notable wrecks. Among the far-reaching nominations were ones impaling themselves with a hiking pole, one falling off the trail backing up while trying to take a picture, two people pinching their finger in a chair, and other lame incidents. Therefore, Leia still retains the prized jersey. Sorry Leia!!! BTW...She says hello from Dubai.

The weekend weather was great. There were brief periods of rain, but the weather mostly alternated between sunny and partly cloudy. Due to a late snow burst, there was still snow on some of the trails. The elevation of Winter Park is about 9,100 feet. Our various climbs took us up to (and perhaps beyond 10,500 feet) and down to below 8,500 feet.

This year is the first year we had a mix of both bikers and hikers led by Jenn & future TdF sensation-to-be.

Pete got to ride his new, unrecognizable to all but the most seasoned bikers, "Grey Ghost", and, with Brad's help, Pete even managed to break a sweat.

The end of Sunday's ride was a repeat of last year with Alison, Eric, and me (as well as Jeremy who joined on a rigid) getting lost again. I separated from the group on Buck Creek, and, through sporadic cell phone communications agreed to meet back up with Alison, Eric, and Jeremy at the intersection of Winterwoods and Whoops! After becoming hopelessly lost, I found Whoops!, I found where Alison wrecked and was in serious running for the jersey last year, and I found Winterwoods. Through a bit of luck, we all (sans Brad & Pete who went to do the Wall of Death) worked our way home. We even found where Alison, Eric, and I huddled under a tree last year to unsuccessfully escape the hailstorm.



Sunday night consisted of a quiet evening with Eric, Jenn, Pete, and me on the sofa watching both Supersize She (starring Joanna Thomas) and Dodgeball (with a cameo appearance by none other than Lance Armstrong) and eating Hernando's salad and pizza.

Monday consisted a lackadaisical day resulting in both Eric and me missing our flights and having to fly standby.

All-in-all it was a great weekend. The beer was flowing. The condo was in a great location for a great price (thanks to Renata!). The hot tub held more than four people. And Lisa started dancing!

Hopefully next year, we can try and avoid pre-ride injuries/maimings and get more riders out there so that we can have more of a fierce competition for the jersey!

June Pint Nights at the Ginger Man

Pint Nights are every Tuesday starting at 4 pm. If you buy the beer of the day you get to keep the logo glass.

June 7th - Stella Artois glasses
June 14th - Mix & Match glasses
June 21st - Tripel Karmeliet & Schneider glasses
June 28th - Ayinger glasses

The Cleanest Little City in Texas

On May 14, 2005, a bunch of friends and I joined thousands of others for the 2005 Shiner B.A.S.H. We awoke around 5:15 am to the sound of rain and thunder. After hemming and hawing for about five minutes, we headed to the start in the rain. About 6:30 am, the rain subsided and we went to register and pick up our packets. We ran into my friends, Amy and Ivan, who were relaxing in Amy's car.

We departed from the start line in Austin around 7 am. The morning air was cool from the morning rain and there was a slight 7 mph headwind coming from the southeast. It turned into a truly beautiful day. For the first 50 miles I was able to average 17 mph, including a combined 10 miles of drafting between 22 and 26 mph. I caught up with Amy and Ivan and the three of us departed together for the remaining 40 miles. At mile 55, I started to bonk. Luckily they are great people to draft off of and that helped a ton!




Okay folks...This is the BEST ride I've done so far. It was extremely well-supported--the last rest stop at the Shiner Brewery is NOT to be missed. Amy, Ivan, and I had a blast there. And I think both Amy and Ivan can attest to the fact that my body is extremely efficient in converting beer into ATP...at least, for the remainder of the ride.

Thanks to all who showed up for the post-ride party! I hope to see many more of you next year!!!

May Pint Nights at the Ginger Man

Pint Nights are every Tuesday starting at 4 pm. If you buy the beer of the day you get to keep the logo glass.

May 3rd - Blue Moon glasses
May 10th - Weinhenstephaner glasses
May 17th - Belhaven glasses
May 24th - Duvel glasses
May 31st - Dogfish Head glasses

May Links of the Month

Google SMS Rocks!!!

Some of you may not know of this, but Google has an SMS service that can provide the following information:

Business listings

Residential listings

Driving directions

Movie showtimes

Weather conditions

Stock quotes

Q&A

Product prices

Definitions

More useful information

Help

You can obtain Google SMS help information sent directly to your phone by sending the word 'help' as a text message to 46645 (GOOGL).

Below are some sample queries:

'Corner Bar Dallas TX' (for business listings)

'weather 75209' (for weather conditions)

'aapl' (for stock quotes on Apple Computer Inc.)

'150 pounds in kilograms' (for conversions)

For more information, see Google SMS.

Help Save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Is it really the caribou's fault that we drive cars that get 12 miles to the gallon and then complain about the price of gas? If the answer is yes, then feel free to skip this posting.

For the rest of you, I hope you will take the time to try and help save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

So please take a minute...okay...maybe three...to take action and protect one of America's greatest natural treasures.

Let's try and make a difference. Thanks...

Camping @ Bar-H Ranch

Today I returned from another successful mountain biking/camping excursion to Bar-H Ranch with my great friends Eric, Jenn, Pete, and Rocket.

On a leisurely Saturday morning we headed north around 1 pm after a short brunch visit to Einstein's. Despite moderate traffic we arrived in Saint Jo around 3 pm. After a short drive, we located a suitable camping spot complete with a modified Weber grill and unloaded the bikes. Eric, Pete, and I suited up and began our adventure while Jenn and Rocket went for a hike.

We started down Bill's Way, veered left into The Oaks, started our ascent into Go West (where we ran into Jenn and Rocket), descended the Horseshoe, took a breather on Earl's Way, turned onto Copperhead down to the creek bed (where I took Eric and Pete on a bit of a wild goose chase), shot up through The Holler, rounded Rustler's, dove into the trees in Commanche Dance, played with sand down in The Holler, rode through Hole in the Tree, climbed and screamed down Upper Armadillo Ridge, and returned back up Bill's Way.

After taking a short breather for some water and snacks, we headed out again, this time to conquer the infamous Devil's Backbone. Hoping to slow Pete down, I sent him off to do Go West again while Eric and I took a shortcut through Earl's Way, which led us directly to Devil's Backbone. Once there, we started our arduous ascent (about 1,000 feet of climbing in just under four miles). The first descent I took a turn a little to fast and wide and, seconds into it, I ended up on my back. After a quick recovery, we continued our journey reaching the summit four more times over seven additional climbs. Naturally Pete caught up with us. We finished off Devil's Backbone with a screaming downhill and warmed down on Earl's Way back to our campsite.

After a quick, sulfurous shower relaxed with some Old Speckled Hen, Hacker-Pschorr Weisse, and Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale and set up our tents. We then prepped for dinner, which consisted of some my grilling some cedar plank salmon and grilled chicken breasts. Jenn and Pete provided couscous, orzo, and rosemary rustica bread. For dessert, we had s'mores and hobo pie with apple pie filling.

We settled down for bed around midnight. Wind gusts of around 25 mph kept most of us up all night (I probably fell asleep around 4 am). We got up around 8:30 am Sunday morning as Quince joined us. Quince and Pete went for a short ride while Eric prepared his famous breakfast tacos. After breakfast we packed up our belongings and went for one last ride. I had to cut the ride short due to a slow leak and hung out with Jenn and Rocket while the rest of the guys did Devil's Backbone again. Reunited, a few of us enjoyed some additional beers and relaxed.

We gladly paid our self-service dues at the trailhead and then left to return home around 3:30 pm. Yay us for a rain-free camping weekend! I can hardly wait to go back!!! In my opinion this is the BEST mountain biking in Texas. Hopefully next time I'll have some pictures to share with you.

April Pint Nights at the Ginger Man

Pint Nights are every Tuesday starting at 4 pm. If you buy the beer of the day you get to keep the logo glass.

April 5th - New Belgium glasses
April 12th - Rahr glasses
April 19th - St. Arnolds glasses
April 26th - Real Ale glasses

April Links of the Month

Restaurant Review: Iris

Tonight my parents and I ate at Iris, a contemporary American restaurant near the intersection of Inwood Road and Lovers Lane. This restaurant is co-owned by Susie Priore and chef Russell Hodges.

For my appetizer I selected the "Prosciutto with Roasted Figs, Seckel Pears, Golden Beets, Baked Goat Cheese, and an Aged Balsamic Glaze" ($13). The plate consisted of a layer of prosciutto upon which sat a mound of organic microgreens beneath a round of goat cheese. This was surrounded by the figs, pears, and beets and a drizzling of the aged balsamic glaze. The balsamic glaze was rich and mellow and applied sparingly so as not to overwhelm the delicate salad as most restaurants neglect to do. I thought the warmed goat cheese, while delicious, took a bit away from the cool, crispness of the fruit. Otherwise, the plate was delicious and is highly recommended.

For my entreé I selected the "Double Chop & Loin of Lamb with Medjool Dates, Saffron Texmati Rice, Grilled Asparagus, and a Fresh Mint Apricot Chutney" ($30). The lamb arrived a perfect medium and the meat was silky and smooth with an almost melt-in-your-mouth character and the rice was fluffy with a hint of spice. This is also highly recommended.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated on the interior with various works of art from local artists. The wines-by-the-glass tend to be a bit pricey ($8 - $14/glass).

Overall, I highly recommend a visit to this restaurant. While it lacks the typical Uptown Dallas crowd it follows in the footsteps of such notable, unforgettable gems as Hattie's, York Street, and the sorely missed Barclay's.

St. Patrick's Day @ The Ginger Man

It being such a nice day, Brandon and I went to the Ginger Man around 5:30 pm and grabbed a spot outside on the back patio as close to a heater as we could.

An awesome band that played last year called Spinach came on stage around 8 pm and started playing music reminiscent of Weezer, Jack Johnson, John Mellencamp, Jackopierce, U2, and others.



Lora, Laura, and Cheryl joined to help keep us warm and toasty. As the temperature dropped and as I shivered more and more, my hoodie made an appearance. As the evening progressed and as my natural charm came out as a result of consuming many glasses of Abita Purple Haze, my hoodie transformed into a hoody and my dormant superpowers began to surface.



After the girls left us, Brandon and I returned back to the Ginger Man to continue our philosophical discussions about girls. Realizing that that conversation was getting us nowhere but hungry, we headed eagerly to Whataburger to enjoy some delicious taquitos and call it a night.

Thanks to all of you who showed up on such short notice!!!

Sláinte!

SXSW

The South by Southwest Festivals + Conferences is in mid-week running from March 11 through March 20 in my hometown Austin, TX. The number of showcased musical acts is 1,279 playing at 60 different venues around town.

For all of you music lovers out there who can't attend, what may be of interest to you is that you can obtain music from the showcased artists for free by going to the following link. So far it's over 750 full-length mp3 files.

It does require that you download and install the BitTorrent client, which is also free.

The BitTorrent client is pretty simple and neat. However, so far, it has taken me at least five days with another estimated two extra days remaining to download 2.6 GB of music. Is it painful? Absolutely! My download rate varies between 1 KB/s and 20 KB/s. Hopefully my download rate will stay high. Once that is done, I will try and keep my client open so that you might benefit from any load-balancing that is available.

Enjoy!

Anoopa Sharma

Occasionally I take time aside to cover issues unrelated to me and to my personal life. Sometimes when I am taking daily time to read other blogs I come across items I find humorous and/or interesting, and I enjoy sharing them with you, the reader.

However, sometimes I will find the need to share with you things that affect me a little deeper. This is one of those times. Anoopa Sharma, someone I did not know but was a friend to many, passed away yesterday evening in a Birmingham hospital. She was involved in a head-on car accident on Saturday, March 5.

Some friends of hers created a blog after the accident as a way to keep friends and relatives updated as to the condition of her recovery. However that blog has now become a tribute.

You can visit her website www.anoopa.net to read the thoughts and prayers from others.

What is the takeaway from this posting? Remember to cherish the time you spend with friends and family and make sure that they know how much you care about them. Life is too short. Don't take anything for granted.

It is said that it is always best to end with a quote. And if someone else has said it best and you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong. So I picked a guy I thought you'd like.

"Dance as though no one is watching you, love as though you have never been hurt before, sing as though no one can hear you, live as though heaven is on earth." - Souza

St. Patrick's Day

The festivities started just after noon on an absolutely beautiful, clear, mid-80 degree day in March. We sat out in front of Ana's watching many of the revelers walking towards the party on Greenville whilst enjoying beer, cider, and B-to-the-E.



Around 2:30 pm we headed over to join the crowd. Wow. It was waaay more crowded than it was last year when it was overcast and drizzly at times. How we were able to stay together was nothing short of miraculous--wall-to-wall bodies everywhere. "Yikes" was deemed an official word of this year's St. Patrick's Day weekend. Laura was not feeling too well so Quince led the first group back to Ana's for a more relaxed time.



Around 4:30 pm we met Kendall at "The Gate". They were no longer letting people in so we finished our beers and started heading over to another party before Ana unfortunately twisted her ankle and went down in a heap. We then headed back to her house so she could ice her ankle and take some Advil. The first group of our party was keeping Ana's warm and so we were continued the festivities there.



Around 8:30 pm we headed over to dinner at the Blue Goose. Oddly enough, Greenville was still relatively packed and, after an hour wait, we were finally seated for a table. After dinner we headed over to the Dubliner before we decided the line was too long. So we ended up at the Pony Keg instead. With the energy level waning in a major way and with Ana's ankle, we decided to call it a night and head back around 11:30 pm.



Thanks to all for hanging out with us this weekend! While we weren't able to finish up the night at the Slip Inn, it was an absolutely awesome day start-to-finish with great friends!