Albany
When a favorite local lunch spot (Burrito Joe's) closed it's doors for good, our web developer, Ethan, wondered where he'd go for his Friday lunch. It was over a farewell burrito that he proposed the idea of a lunch club. "Do you think anyone would be interested in trying different places for lunch each Friday?" I knew I would. As it turns out, so would eleven other Zone 5-ers, who, in the past seven weeks, have collectively been part of the Zone 5 Lunch Club.
So far we've sampled a pretty diverse selection of dishes: english meat pies, jambalaya, thai curry mussels, wild boar ribs, sandwiches, fish and chips, mac and cheese, bratwurst, burgers and a couple of not-so-hot dogs. Overall, we have enjoyed good food, fun conversation, and have adhered, for the most part, to the two main rules of Lunch Club: 1. Don't talk about work, and, 2. Don't talk about work.
Thanks, Ethan, for the idea, and for organizing our weekly "eating meetings." If you'd like to read more about our adventures and our unofficial reviews of the places we've visited, check out the Lunch Club site.
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
- James Beard
That’s right people! I am the proud owner of a new Honda Ruckus Scooter. Why a scooter, you say? Style, fuel economy, convenient urban transportation and the same feeling of freedom you get from anything else with two wheels.
Quick specs- $2149 MSRP. 43 MPH top speed (not for long). 85 MPG.
85 MPG! If that isn’t impressive enough for you there are several internet claims of people getting over 100 MPG! Talk about reducing your carbon footprint. Also, it’s only April but you can feel the gas prices starting to creep up. My prediction is that by summer we’ll be paying some high gas prices again. This scooter has enabled me to become completely indifferent about the price of gasoline and it’s environmental impact is barely measurable.
A lot of people asked me why I didn’t get a motorcycle instead of a scooter and it’s a legitimate question. The answer is simple. This year called for something new. I have always ridden motorcycles so being on two wheels wasn’t news to me. In the past there have been some times when the only vehicle to my name was a motorcycle. Every day I would ride, rain or shine, and I’ve pretty much done everything you can do on a motorcycle short of race on a track. Also, if you have been following along, you know that I only live a couple miles from the office. The Ruckus is really going to be about commuting back and forth to work and buzzing around the city. It’s the epitome of convenience. I drive it right in the door and park it in my office!
Don’t forget about the aftermarket. YOU MUST MOD. There is an entire scene devoted to this particular model with endless customizing options. Engines, exhausts, variators, frame extensions, rims and accessories galore. You can be sure I’m going to drop some cash to make my scoot look cooler and go faster. There’s something highly satisfying about tightening the last bolt on a brand new upgrade. So far, I made my number plates and decals here at work and hacked off some useless plastic. This will hold me over until I can get some real parts lined up.
The Ruckus has enabled me to further enjoy the satisfaction of cruising on two wheels. I have freed myself from the tyranny of the gas pump and I have a new toy to customize.
That’s about it. I’m currently accepting applications to join my scooter posse if you think you have what it takes. Other than that, if you see me out around town don’t be surprised if you get a "beep beep!"
Recently my winter car broke down. It made some noises I’ve never heard a car make before and then died. This led me to believe it was potentially fatal and expensive to repair. While under the hood trying to find the culprit something occurred to me. What if I don't repair it at all? (Frankly I must finally be growing up because I’m getting a little bored with cars, especially broken ones.) I got out my smart phone and looked up the local bus route. Sure enough there is a CDTA bus that runs near my house and drops me off a few blocks from the office. Sweet! That is, until I mentioned it to anyone.
Several people I talked to thought that taking the city bus on a routine basis was a terrible idea. I'll certainly be lucky to avoid getting mugged, and furthermore, how will I cart home truckloads of supplies from my local discount-club store? My neighbors saw me walking and asked why. After explaining that I was going to catch the bus they pleaded with me to let them give me a ride. Anything but the bus. Even crazier was the idea of not having a car at all. Peoples’ minds were blown. There was so much dissent that I started second-guessing the whole thing.
I decided to follow through with my plan of at least trying to ride the bus, but all the negative feedback had me concerned. Clearly some preparation was in order because it was obviously going to be intense. According to all the hype, I would have to harden up if I was going to survive a city bus ride. First, pushups and bicep curls to look stronger. Next, a high & tight military haircut, followed by shaving my traditional beard into a more sinister looking goatee. I queued up Vulgar Display of Power on my Ipod, grabbed my black leather motorcycle jacket and my meanest looking pair of sunglasses and headed out the door. Here is what I found.
The bus was exactly on time. When the door opened the driver smiled and described the bus route. There were plenty of seats and even though this particular bus wasn't new, it was surprisingly clean. As far as my preparation for war was concerned I can sum it up in one word. Ridiculous. There were mothers with their children, men in suits, and of course, girls chatting on their cell phones. Best of all, there wasn't a hooligan in sight, except for me.
Riding the Albany city bus has been a perfectly acceptable experience and I bet it's similar in other cities. Finding my route and being on foot turned the normally mundane task of getting to work into an adventure. Getting the scenic architecture tour of downtown and letting someone else do the driving almost made the whole thing dare I say, fun. All I did was combine equal parts awareness and common sense and the result was success. Maybe we need to reevaluate how we think about public transportation, specifically the bus. Not only is it environmentally friendly and inexpensive, there is the added bonus of getting a little exercise. If you have considered taking the bus in the past but didn’t for whatever reason it’s worth another look.
Here is a summary of benefits-
1) I postponed towing and repairing my broken-down beater car which temporarily saved me unknown hundreds of dollars.
2) I switched my car insurance to “Withdrawn From Use” which saved me 75% of my insurance costs while allowing me to keep my plates on the car. I don’t have to deal with the DMV or any zoning laws regarding unregistered vehicles, and If something happens to the car while parked it’s still covered.
3) I further lessened my carbon footprint by .3 tons(based on the mileage of my new commute from Nov 1st - April 1st. I plan on putting my real car back on the road in the spring.)
4) I don’t have to buy gasoline this winter saving me an additional $92.37
5) There is another parking space available in our already crowded downtown parking lot. This is important in the winter because the snow banks always eat up a couple of spaces.
6) My total walk round trip is 2.2 miles which helps me burn an extra 200 calories a day and is generally believed to be good for my heart.
Next I’ll introduce you to our building and explain how we were able to positively influence our carbon footprint as a company. Happy New Year and welcome to 2010. I love fresh starts. Let’s do something good.
Can you help give our rubber tree plant a name? We've got high hopes...
Rescued from a dark corner of a dimly-lit second-floor office, "Plant" has found new life outdoors breathing the fine air of downtown Albany. Rubber tree plants, although more common in tropical climates, are almost as hard to kill as plastic plants, but this baby was on its way to bio degradation until the Zone 5 production team gave it a "new leaf on life" in the open air of our third-floor deck.
Now that this 8-foot addition to our outdoor ambiance has shirked it's fate at the plant pound (the big green dumpster), it has become a sentimental member of the Zone 5 family. Since we are still a small enough firm to operate on a first-name basis, we wanted to be able to speak of said plant in a more creative way – with his/her own, simple, more personal name.
Although a creative firm by trade, our initial attempts at naming our ginormous seedling fell flat. Those efforts included:
Mr. RT (for Rubber Tree)
Plantasia
Botanical Bob
Rubbie
Big Green Thing
LarMillie
Since we haven't been able to decide on appropriate alias for our deck buddy, we are opening it up to our fans, friends, clients and long distance relatives. Successfully naming our rubber tree plant has its rewards! Winner will receive:
A Snuggie Blanket - the Blanket with Sleeves!
2 Movie Passes
Guest of Honor Status at one of our cookouts or International Wednesdays (local winners only)
A clipping of your named plant to start your own Jr. version at home
Post your entry below now! Make sure to include your contact information. Contest ends Friday, August 14th.
