I don't know about you but I'm getting real tired of something new to worry about every few years from environmentalist. The recent list of bans introduced by environmentalists include chlorofluorocarbons (aerosol-spray propellants, Freon, etc.), tuna (save the dolphins), DDT (save the birds), lights on beaches (protect sea turtles), and on and on and on....
Brace yourself because they are coming after the traditional incandescent light bulbs now. These wonderful staples of the 20th century are now marked as public enemy number one and will be banned from our homes in a few years if the current craze continues. What will replace our traditional light bulbs? Fluorescent lights designed to fit into normal light bulb sockets.
I continue to be baffled at the continual focus on government to solve problems. So we need laws and regulations to switch light bulbs? When will people learn that free enterprise works! If there is a market there will be a natural progression to the economical or more capable product. Take the light blub for example. We are going to be forced to switch from a $0.25 bulb to one that costs $4 for a bulb that provides poorer quality light. Hmmmm. And it will take over 2 years to realize the cost savings of the lesser power this bulb will consume.....hmmmm. Oh, did I tell you the new bulb contains mercury and will take a biohazard team from DHS to clean up broken bulbs....hmmmm. Think people!
Sometimes I wished I owned a Hummer or Humvee...
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Altitude Sickness - didn't know there is such a thing!
Folks, I'm not talking about the sick feeling you have as you climb the company ladder...I'm talking about the sickness in going to 9,000+ feet above sea level.
Over my kid's spring break during the first week of April, I decided to take the family on a skiing trip to Winter Park, Colorado. It was a breath taking site seeing the Rocky Mountains as the plane approached Denver. During the entire trip the scenery was very picturesque. We had snow almost every day and it created a great atmosphere for skiing and added to the beauty of the area. If you have never been to Colorado, try to find the Coors commercial where one of the Coors family member is talking about the freshness of the water used in Coors (or something like that). The area is simply beautiful.
But I digress...so we arrived at the town home we rented and in my excitement I grabbed one of our largest suitcases and ran up the stairs to tour the new temporary home (also very picturesque). That is when it first hit me. By the time I reached the top of the long staircase, I was out of breath and my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. I literally almost blacked out. I laid down on the couch (after I crawled there) and pondered my situation -- it felt like I was having a heart attack -- I think -- I never have had a heart attack so I'm not sure. Anyway, it was very unpleasant. Then it hit me...we landed in the mile high city and then drove 4,000 feet higher up the mountains. The oxygen was noticeably lacking.
It took several hours and a half dozen Advils to recover from my plight and I was lucky. My wife experienced it even worse. She took altitude sickness in full form...this included:
Over my kid's spring break during the first week of April, I decided to take the family on a skiing trip to Winter Park, Colorado. It was a breath taking site seeing the Rocky Mountains as the plane approached Denver. During the entire trip the scenery was very picturesque. We had snow almost every day and it created a great atmosphere for skiing and added to the beauty of the area. If you have never been to Colorado, try to find the Coors commercial where one of the Coors family member is talking about the freshness of the water used in Coors (or something like that). The area is simply beautiful.
But I digress...so we arrived at the town home we rented and in my excitement I grabbed one of our largest suitcases and ran up the stairs to tour the new temporary home (also very picturesque). That is when it first hit me. By the time I reached the top of the long staircase, I was out of breath and my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. I literally almost blacked out. I laid down on the couch (after I crawled there) and pondered my situation -- it felt like I was having a heart attack -- I think -- I never have had a heart attack so I'm not sure. Anyway, it was very unpleasant. Then it hit me...we landed in the mile high city and then drove 4,000 feet higher up the mountains. The oxygen was noticeably lacking.
It took several hours and a half dozen Advils to recover from my plight and I was lucky. My wife experienced it even worse. She took altitude sickness in full form...this included:
- Severe headaches
- Nausea
- Irritability
- Dehydration
In other words...it was a normal day...oops...did I say that out loud....
No, it was pretty rough for her and there is really not much you can do. They tell you to drink a lot of water, take Advils, and just simply deal with it. It literally took her three days to recover!
The kids luckily were not impacted and to them it confirmed that mom and dad are just getting old!
The trip went well otherwise...I have added a new sport to my hobby list...snow boarding! We went as high as 12,060 feet to the peak at Winter Park -- that was an awesome site. Let me put this in perspective, I, probably like most of you, live life around 500 feet above sea level or lower. Also, it occurred to me as stared down the mountain at 12,060 feet that this is nothing compared to Mt. Everest which stands over 29,000 feet. I looked up and tried to imagine something that was more then twice as high I was at that point...I couldn't imagine it...
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