the Hybrid Project

*** THIS IS A LATE POST FROM LAST WEDNESDAY.  SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION. ***

As you all know I am a proud driver of a 2002 Honda Insight Hybrid.  I have to say that it is one of the more interesting vehicles that I have owned and one that turns heads where ever I go.  Today I had to perform a regular duty of getting new tires.  This is something that every car owner must go through and something that people just don’t think about until they get the bill.  

Since most hybrids need a certain kind of tire to operate properly, our choices and price ranges are extremely limited.  So after talking with some people in tires stores, I decided today to replace my worn out stock tires with a slightly different kind of tire.  I went from the stock Bridgestone P165/65R14 to a Pirelli P175/65R14.  Not many of us know the differences between these tires, but if you ask a Honda Rep or any true Hybrid driver, you will get an ear full about what changing the size of your tire will do to your gas mileage.  However, no one can tell you for sure what will happen to your gas mileage if you do change from the stock equipment.  As an engineer and avid Mythbuster Fan, I can’t stand being lead down a path by salesmen without knowing for sure they know what they are talking about.  So I called the only other person I can trust to give me the straight scoop, my Dad.

My Dad is the only other person that I know that has a 2000 Honda Insight and has taken the plunge of switching from stock tires.  He told me emphatically, “DON’T DO IT!”  He noticed an immediate 10 mpg drop over the first couple of days when he switched from his stock tires.  He decided after only 6 months to switch back to the stock tires in order to reclaim his gas mileage.  However, there are some differences between his Insight and mine.  He has a manual transmission and I have an automatic CVT.  This may not seem like a big difference to the casual observer, but most drivers know that you can get better MPG efficiency out of a manual transmission then out of an automatic one.

So this brings us to THE HYBRID PROJECT.  After talking to my lovely wife, I have decided to run an experiment to see exactly how much of a drop in MPG will happen with these new tires.  I have a trip planned to Charleston, SC this weekend to shoot in a competition.  This will give me a great opportunity to run a test on the highway to judge the difference for myself. 

I have two problems facing me:

1) Speedometer and Odometer Offset 

Since the new tires are slightly larger than the stock tires, my speedometer and odometer do not truly depict my speed or mileage.  There is about a 1.6 mph difference the two tires when running at any speed.  This not only makes the car run faster then what the speedometer says, but it also does not track my mileage correctly.  If I decide to keep the tires, I will have to find someone that can recalibrate my computer to register the difference correctly.  Honda already said that they won’t do it.

2) Battery Regeneration

I have already noticed that my battery pack is running lower than usual.  This seems to be the case because I am using more of my electric motor to bring the car up to speed and to keep it there.  Since the stock tires are rated as LRR (Low Rolling Resistance).  It suggests that the car needs less energy to bring the car up to speed and to keep it there.  After my experiment this weekend I should know if this will cause additional strain on my battery pack and electric motor or if it will just work itself out in the wash over time.

If anyone was wondering why I would go to all of this trouble just to change tires, here is a short list of the differences in the tires:

Model:                P165/65R14 (LRR)

Miles:                 40,000 miles

Price/Tire:           $112.5.00/tire (Fully installed with roadside protection.)

Ride Experience:  Rough ride. Extensive road noise.  Ruts and cracks in the road are jarring and feel rough.  Speed bumps and train tracks feel like I am running into a curb.

Model:                P175/65R14

Miles:                  85,000 miles

Price/Tire:           $97.50/tire (Fully installed with roadside protection.)

Ride Experience:  They feel like new sneakers.  Going over speed bumps and train tracks feels great. No jarring when going over cracks and ruts on the road.  This does not make the car run like an Escalade, but does improve the feel of the ride greatly.

I’ll post again with my results from this weekend.  Wish me luck!

Mr. Miyagi's Tai Chi Training

Yesterday in Tai Chi class we had a special set of warm up exercises.  It definitely came as a surprise to all of us (especially our instructors).  George comes into our class as we are performing our warm-ups and says, “Everyone stop.  Instead of the normal warm-ups we are going outside and work on traditional Kung Fu warm-ups.  We are going to work on our Horse Stances.”  Immediately we are all suspicious.  When we arrive outside we find bales of pine straw stacked up at the end of the drive way.  Well, coming from a family of some pretty intense yard and gardening experiences, I knew what was going on immediately.  We have been brought outside to help spread the pine straw throughout the property.  Practicing Horse Stance did not last long once we started getting into it.  No one was expecting this so no one was really prepared for being covered in dirt and dust.  However, we did get a lot of practice at spreading the pine needles.  Especially when the group did a fantastic job of spreading the needles over the front area near the road only to find out that they didn’t need it there.  That area was reserved for wood chips.  This meant a collective effort of picking up the expertly laid pine needles and relocating them to the back.  I do have to give Sifu and George credit though.  They didn’t just sit back and supervise while the students toiled in the fields.  They were right there in it with us the whole way and you have to respect that.

The one thing about the Peaceful Dragon that sets itself apart from other Martial Arts studios is the focus on “fellowship”.  By engaging the students in the care and up keep of the facility, you permit the students to feel a sense of belonging to the environment.  It also draws out the people within the fellowship who desire to really commit themselves to the cause and who want to stand out from the others.  To tell you the truth, I like this type of engagement within a fellowship.  It allows me to feel like I am part of something greater and (ultimately) get a larger sense of worth out of my training. 

Now we all have busy lives and our demands on our time are wide spread.  However, to just doing little things like spreading pine needles for 20 minutes can provide the right amount of support to the overall fellowship, but not detract from other responsibilities that compete for your attention at the same time.  Now if I have to paint someone’s fence or wash and wax their car, I may re-think it.  For now, I’ll just sit back and enjoy the ride.  Maybe I’ll bring some gloves next time as well.

the Farmers Market

This weekend marked the first Dada / Son day of my life.  My beloved wife (who we call the Mummum) decided finally to take the day off and relinquish control of the little one to the Dada.  She was long overdue for a break from the little one.  So on her day off she made her way to the public library to do some genealogy research in the Carolina Room.  Not exactly my idea of a relaxing day off, but when you are a professional research librarian I guess that is like your Mecca and “to each their own.”  It is kinda like me being in automation and robotics and wanting to go to a FIRST Robotics conference to watch a live form of “Rock’em Sock’em Robots.” (Which is oh so cool!!)

Anyway, back to the story.  Since I had the day with the little one, I decided to head off to the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market to see what they had.  I have lived in the Charlotte area for the past decade, but never made it over to see what was there.  To which the Nana (my mother who accompanied us) told me that was “criminal.”  The first place you should go in a new city is the Farmers Market.  It turned out she was right.  We arrived pretty late in the day, but still found great deals on organic veggies and flowers.  We found out later that the best time to get to the FM was around 8-10am.  After that all of the good stuff would be picked by the chefs that use the produce in their restaurants uptown.

Even though there were slim pickings, we still had a great time and the little one was terrific the entire day.  When the Mummum returned after her library excursion, she was greeted by a smiling baby boy at the door which gave her kisses immediately and some gorgeous tulips (if I do say so myself) that we acquired. 

I am definitely going to make the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market a regular stop on our weekly grocery excursion.  If you have not gone, you definitely have to try it.  You will be amazed at what you find for such a good price. 

If anyone has any tips or tricks they would like to share about the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, feel free to post them.  I am always up for an inside skinny for a great deal!

Fasting - A Necessary Evil?

This week's topic in the Zen Super Boot Camp covered Fasting.  Many people perform fasting for many different reasons such as religious devotion, spiritual growth, weight loss, medical procedures, or even as an influencing method.  Of course all of these choices are up to you, but the worst reason in the bunch would have to be for weight loss.  For the purpose of the Boot Camp, a fast is to cleanse the body of unwanted toxins.  Our daily lives bombard us with unneeded and unwanted substances that our bodies were not meant to deal with.  The accumulation of these unwanted materials are stored within the liver, kidneys, and even in our fat.

A Fast can come in many forms.  Some non-specific forms of a Fast are:
1)  Air Fast - No food or water
2) Fruit Fast or Fruit Juice Fast
3) Pure Water Fast
4) Veggie Fast

These are just a few Fasts that you can try if you want, but the important things to find a PROVEN Fast plan and to follow it explicitly.  Deviations to prescribed plans could end up hurting you in the long run if you do not know the effects of changing the plans will do to your body.

So if you decide that you want to perform a Fast, when is the best time to do it?  If you do work a normal Monday - Friday, 08:00-17:00 lifestyle , then it is best to start the Fast on a Friday so you can work through the food withdrawals over the weekend.  This will help get you over the hump so it minimizes the effect o your job.

So our homework for this week is to determine if we would go on a Fast based on the information that we have learned about Fasting and how it affects the body.  I have been thinking about this ever since I started the Zen Super Boot Camp.  My wife and I have talked about this as well and we certainly have different opinions about it.

My wife doesn't see the need to do a Fast.  She says that when she feels majorly hungry she is ready to rip someone's head off and roll it down the street if you look at her wrong.  I have never seen it this bad, but she does get into a mood that you don't normally see her in.  Me on the other hand believe that a Fast can be a good thing.  Based on what I have learned, the release of toxins and the reset of my body's processes by this experience will out weight the discomfort the process my put me through.

I think that may go through a Fast just to say that I did it.  I am currently trying to find a Fast that I find agreeable.  My only worry is the increased loss of energy through the day.  I am already struggling in the morning without a strong cup of Irish tea.  When I cut that out, I may need to stand up at my desk in order to stay awake.  However, I feel that my weight loss efforts could use a boost from a Fast.  It has taken me 15 years to get myself into this unhealthy state, so I am open to anything that will help get me on the straight and narrow.  When I decide when my starting date is, then I will give you the blow by blow of my struggles and successes.

What do you all think?  Are you willing to go through a Fast? Why or Why Not?

After Easter Update

Hello everyone out there in Blogland.  It's been a bit since my last post so I felt that I should jump on and tell people what is going on.  Things have been going well.  Work has been challenging, but interesting.  I am working on some stuff that I have never been exposed to before so I am learning a lot.  I equate learning at my job to taking a drink of water from a Fire Hose.  You get the picture.

The family is good.  We had a good family day on Good Friday and I got to see the baby boy interact at his music class.  he is definitely the class clown.  All of the other kids actually sat and tried to participate in sing-a-long, but not our son.  I don't think he stopped moving for the entire class, talking and jabbering to us and himself the whole time.  If you have not seen Phillip jabber yet, it is a must see.  I'll see about posting a video of him doing it later on.  We then spent the rest of the weekend visiting my wife's family in Statesville.

As you all know I passed my advancement test the Wednesday last week.  Since then I have been in limbo.  I turned in my Mastery paperwork for consideration, but I have not gotten a call yet to set up my interview.  I appreciate Sifu taking his time to consider candidates, but it would be cool to move into the more advanced Tai Chi class.  This month they are learning 3/4 staffs, which is something that I have always wanted to try.

Practice has been good but a little painful.  For some reason I have injured by left elbow last month when I started Tai Chi and the pain has not gone away.  I also recently pulled my hamstring in my left leg, which makes me take it easy when we do our Pendulum kicks in the warm ups.  I am starting to heal, but I feel it is going to take a while to be at full strength.  Regardless of the pain, classes have been great since we moved outside.  Practicing outdoors brings a different feel to the form.  I just feel more connected to my surroundings and it helps me practice my focus.  I tend to stray from my meditation in Universal Post by the Fire Engines, birds, and planes that offer their distractions.  However I am getting better at focusing.

That is it for now.  I'll be posting some other stuff in the near future.  Take it easy!!

a B-E-A-U-tiful Day in the Neighborhood

In Tai Chi tonight Sifu lead our class in simple exercises designed to help our balance and form.  The great thing was that he lead the class outside which was absolutely perfect weather.  We practiced our Universal Post which was a bit challenging with the air traffic and Fire Engine sirens passing us by, but that is why we practice our concentration like we do.  It helps us deal with distractions like that.

After that exercise he brought us through three different exercises: Polish the Mirror, Lift the Suit Cases, and Stepping Over the Fence.  As you can imagine, the exercises were performed exactly as the names suggest.  Polishing the Mirror simply had us slowly move our hands in large counter rotating circles as we lowered our body like we were polishing a mirror.  Lift the Suit Cases had us lower our body like we were going to pick up suit cases and then lift and lower then from waist high.  Stepping Over the Fence had us slowly lifting one leg and rotating it like we were stepping over a fence to our side.

Now all of these sound really simple, but the trick was that we had to do them slowly and keep our core centered and straight.  After doing that for 10 or 12 repetitions and you definitely start feeling it in your legs.  The good thing is that I can take a rest this weekend with some Icy/Hot to prepare for next week's classes.

Good night everyone and have a Happy Easter and a great extended weekend.