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  • HU0372 Z 103

    HU0372 Z 103

    PROGRAM = datasheet95, VERSION = 8.12.5.19
    Starting Datasheet Retrieval...
    1    National Geodetic Survey, Retrieval Date = APRIL  2, 2025 20:05:48 EDT
     HU0372 ***********************************************************************
     HU0372  DESIGNATION -  Z 103
     HU0372  PID         -  HU0372
     HU0372  STATE/COUNTY-  MD/WORCESTER
     HU0372  COUNTRY     -  US
     HU0372  USGS QUAD   -  ASSAWOMAN BAY (2016)
     HU0372
     HU0372                         *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL
     HU0372  ______________________________________________________________________
     HU0372* NAD 83(1986) POSITION- 38 23 13.17   (N) 075 03 57.72   (W)   HD_HELD1
     HU0372* NAVD 88 ORTHO HEIGHT -     2.203 (meters)        7.23  (feet) ADJUSTED
     HU0372  ______________________________________________________________________
     HU0372  GEOID HEIGHT    -        -36.001 (meters)                     GEOID18
     HU0372  DYNAMIC HEIGHT  -          2.202 (meters)        7.22  (feet) COMP
     HU0372  MODELED GRAVITY -    980,013.2   (mgal)                       NAVD 88
     HU0372
     HU0372  VERT ORDER      -  SECOND    CLASS I
     HU0372
     HU0372.The horizontal coordinates were determined by differentially corrected
     HU0372.hand held GPS observations or other comparable positioning techniques
     HU0372.and have an estimated accuracy of +/- 3 meters.
     HU0372
     HU0372.The orthometric height was determined by differential leveling and
     HU0372.adjusted by the NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY
     HU0372.in June 1991.
     HU0372
     HU0372.Significant digits in the geoid height do not necessarily reflect accuracy.
     HU0372.GEOID18 height accuracy estimate available here.
     HU0372
     HU0372.Click photographs - Photos may exist for this station.
     HU0372
     HU0372.The dynamic height is computed by dividing the NAVD 88
     HU0372.geopotential number by the normal gravity value computed on the
     HU0372.Geodetic Reference System of 1980 (GRS 80) ellipsoid at 45
     HU0372.degrees latitude (g = 980.6199 gals.).
     HU0372
     HU0372.The modeled gravity was interpolated from observed gravity values.
     HU0372
     HU0372;                    North         East    Units  Estimated Accuracy
     HU0372;SPC MD       -    81,748.8     568,953.5     MT  (+/- 3 meters HH1 GPS) 
     HU0372
     HU0372_U.S. NATIONAL GRID SPATIAL ADDRESS: 18SVH9423348756(NAD 83)
     HU0372
     HU0372                          SUPERSEDED SURVEY CONTROL
     HU0372
     HU0372  NGVD 29 (11/26/84)    2.444  (m)            8.02   (f) ADJUSTED    2 0
     HU0372
     HU0372.Superseded values are not recommended for survey control.
     HU0372
     HU0372.NGS no longer adjusts projects to the NAD 27 or NGVD 29 datums.
     HU0372.See file dsdata.pdf to determine how the superseded data were derived.
     HU0372
     HU0372_MARKER: DB = BENCH MARK DISK
     HU0372_SETTING: 35 = SET IN A MAT FOUNDATION OR CONCRETE SLAB OTHER THAN
     HU0372+WITH SETTING: PAVEMENT
     HU0372_SP_SET: GUARD POST FOR SIGN
     HU0372_STAMPING: Z 103 1962
     HU0372_MARK LOGO: CGS
     HU0372_STABILITY: C = MAY HOLD, BUT OF TYPE COMMONLY SUBJECT TO
     HU0372+STABILITY: SURFACE MOTION
     HU0372_SATELLITE: THE SITE LOCATION WAS REPORTED AS NOT SUITABLE FOR
     HU0372+SATELLITE: SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS - June 05, 2020
     HU0372
     HU0372  HISTORY     - Date     Condition        Report By
     HU0372  HISTORY     - 1962     MONUMENTED       CGS
     HU0372  HISTORY     - 1975     GOOD             NGS
     HU0372  HISTORY     - 1988     GOOD             USPSQD
     HU0372  HISTORY     - 20010502 GOOD             MDSHA
     HU0372  HISTORY     - 20040410 GOOD             USPSQD
     HU0372  HISTORY     - 20051203 GOOD             USPSQD
     HU0372  HISTORY     - 20080101 GOOD             JARICE
     HU0372  HISTORY     - 20101003 GOOD             NGS
     HU0372  HISTORY     - 20130403 GOOD             WINGS
     HU0372  HISTORY     - 20200605 GOOD             WTBALL
     HU0372
     HU0372                          STATION DESCRIPTION
     HU0372
     HU0372'DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1962
     HU0372'3.6 MI N FROM OCEAN CITY.
     HU0372'3.55 MILES NORTH ON STATE HIGHWAY 528 FROM THE POST OFFICE IN
     HU0372'OCEAN CITY.  ABOUT HALF WAY BETWEEN 64TH STREET AND 65TH STREET
     HU0372'IN NORTH OCEAN CITY, 72 FEET WEST OF THE CENTER LINE OF HIGHWAY
     HU0372'528, THE MARK IS ABOUT 2.5 FEET ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE GROUND AND
     HU0372'1 FOOT ABOVE THE HIGHWAY.  SET IN A DRILL HOLE IN THE NORTH MOST
     HU0372'ONE OF TWO CONCRETE GUARD POSTS FOR THE 64TH STREET SHOPPING
     HU0372'CENTER SIGN.
     HU0372
     HU0372                          STATION RECOVERY (1975)
     HU0372
     HU0372'RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1975
     HU0372'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
     HU0372
     HU0372                          STATION RECOVERY (1988)
     HU0372
     HU0372'RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 1988 (CAC)
     HU0372'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
     HU0372
     HU0372                          STATION RECOVERY (2001)
     HU0372
     HU0372'RECOVERY NOTE BY MARYLAND DOT HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION 2001 (SFK)
     HU0372'RECOVERED AS DESCRIBED.
     HU0372
     HU0372                          STATION RECOVERY (2004)
     HU0372
     HU0372'RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 2004 (CM)
     HU0372'FOUND.  HAS BEEN PAINTED WHITE ALONG WITH ITS GUARD POST SETTING.
     HU0372
     HU0372                          STATION RECOVERY (2005)
     HU0372
     HU0372'RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 2005 (FM)
     HU0372'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
     HU0372
     HU0372                          STATION RECOVERY (2008)
     HU0372
     HU0372'RECOVERY NOTE BY J A RICE INC 2008 (MRA)
     HU0372'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
     HU0372
     HU0372                          STATION RECOVERY (2010)
     HU0372
     HU0372'RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 2010 (DRD)
     HU0372'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
     HU0372
     HU0372                          STATION RECOVERY (2013)
     HU0372
     HU0372'RECOVERY NOTE BY WINGS AERIAL MAPPING CO INC 2013 (CW)
     HU0372'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
     HU0372
     HU0372                          STATION RECOVERY (2020)
     HU0372
     HU0372'RECOVERY NOTE BY THE WILSON T BALLARD COMPANY 2020 (JMB)
     HU0372'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.

    Log: Recovered in good condition on Friday, 10/24/2025 at 8:10am EDT. I thought I would look for a couple of benchmarks this morning while walking from our condo to a geocache just north of the Rt 90 bridge. Another easy recovery here, thanks to the descriptive text. The disc has been partially painted over in white and yellow (maybe to make it more visible for aerial observation?), but is in good shape and fully readable.

  • HU1163 OC 5

    HU1163 OC 5

    PROGRAM = datasheet95, VERSION = 8.12.5.19
    Starting Datasheet Retrieval...
    1    National Geodetic Survey, Retrieval Date = APRIL 13, 2025 06:45:33 EDT
     HU1163 ***********************************************************************
     HU1163  DESIGNATION -  OC 5
     HU1163  PID         -  HU1163
     HU1163  STATE/COUNTY-  MD/WORCESTER
     HU1163  COUNTRY     -  US
     HU1163  USGS QUAD   -  ASSAWOMAN BAY (2016)
     HU1163
     HU1163                         *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL
     HU1163  ______________________________________________________________________
     HU1163* NAD 83(1986) POSITION- 38 23 41.4    (N) 075 03 47.9    (W)   HD_HELD2
     HU1163* NAVD 88 ORTHO HEIGHT -     2.931 (meters)        9.62  (feet) ADJUSTED
     HU1163  ______________________________________________________________________
     HU1163  GEOID HEIGHT    -        -35.992 (meters)                     GEOID18
     HU1163  DYNAMIC HEIGHT  -          2.929 (meters)        9.61  (feet) COMP
     HU1163  MODELED GRAVITY -    980,013.8   (mgal)                       NAVD 88
     HU1163
     HU1163  VERT ORDER      -  SECOND    CLASS I
     HU1163
     HU1163.The horizontal coordinates were established by autonomous hand held GPS
     HU1163.observations and have an estimated accuracy of +/- 10 meters.
     HU1163
     HU1163.The orthometric height was determined by differential leveling and
     HU1163.adjusted by the NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY
     HU1163.in June 1991.
     HU1163
     HU1163.Significant digits in the geoid height do not necessarily reflect accuracy.
     HU1163.GEOID18 height accuracy estimate available here.
     HU1163
     HU1163.Click photographs - Photos may exist for this station.
     HU1163
     HU1163.The dynamic height is computed by dividing the NAVD 88
     HU1163.geopotential number by the normal gravity value computed on the
     HU1163.Geodetic Reference System of 1980 (GRS 80) ellipsoid at 45
     HU1163.degrees latitude (g = 980.6199 gals.).
     HU1163
     HU1163.The modeled gravity was interpolated from observed gravity values.
     HU1163
     HU1163;                    North         East    Units  Estimated Accuracy
     HU1163;SPC MD       -    82,624.      569,173.      MT  (+/- 10 meters HH2 GPS)
     HU1163
     HU1163_U.S. NATIONAL GRID SPATIAL ADDRESS: 18SVH9447149625(NAD 83)
     HU1163
     HU1163                          SUPERSEDED SURVEY CONTROL
     HU1163
     HU1163  NGVD 29 (11/26/84)    3.172  (m)           10.41   (f) ADJUSTED    2 1
     HU1163
     HU1163.Superseded values are not recommended for survey control.
     HU1163
     HU1163.NGS no longer adjusts projects to the NAD 27 or NGVD 29 datums.
     HU1163.See file dsdata.pdf to determine how the superseded data were derived.
     HU1163
     HU1163_MARKER: DB = BENCH MARK DISK
     HU1163_SETTING: 36 = SET IN A MASSIVE STRUCTURE
     HU1163_SP_SET: BUILDING
     HU1163_STAMPING: OC-5 1977
     HU1163_MARK LOGO: MDSHA
     HU1163_STABILITY: B = PROBABLY HOLD POSITION/ELEVATION WELL
     HU1163_SATELLITE: THE SITE LOCATION WAS REPORTED AS NOT SUITABLE FOR
     HU1163+SATELLITE: SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS - January 11, 2011
     HU1163
     HU1163  HISTORY     - Date     Condition        Report By
     HU1163  HISTORY     - 1977     MONUMENTED       MDSHA
     HU1163  HISTORY     - 1988     GOOD             USPSQD
     HU1163  HISTORY     - 20020330 GOOD             USPSQD
     HU1163  HISTORY     - 20040410 GOOD             USPSQD
     HU1163  HISTORY     - 20051203 GOOD             USPSQD
     HU1163  HISTORY     - 20060523 GOOD             GEOCAC
     HU1163  HISTORY     - 20080101 GOOD             JARICE
     HU1163  HISTORY     - 20110111 GOOD             INDIV
     HU1163
     HU1163                          STATION DESCRIPTION
     HU1163
     HU1163'DESCRIBED BY MARYLAND DOT HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION 1977
     HU1163'IN OCEAN CITY.
     HU1163'LOCATED 4.2 MI N ALONG MD RTE 528 (COASTAL HIGHWAY) FROM THE POST
     HU1163'OFFICE IN OCEAN CITY AT 74TH ST, SET VERTICALLY IN A DRILL HOLE IN THE
     HU1163'NE CORNER OF THE OCEAN CITY FIRE DEPT STA NO 3.  3 FEET ABOVE GROUND
     HU1163'SET VERTICALLY.
     HU1163
     HU1163                          STATION RECOVERY (1988)
     HU1163
     HU1163'RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 1988 (CAC)
     HU1163'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
     HU1163
     HU1163                          STATION RECOVERY (2002)
     HU1163
     HU1163'RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 2002 (CM)
     HU1163'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
     HU1163
     HU1163                          STATION RECOVERY (2004)
     HU1163
     HU1163'RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 2004 (CM)
     HU1163'FOUND IN GOOD CONDITION.
     HU1163
     HU1163                          STATION RECOVERY (2005)
     HU1163
     HU1163'RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 2005 (FM)
     HU1163'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
     HU1163
     HU1163                          STATION RECOVERY (2006)
     HU1163
     HU1163'RECOVERY NOTE BY GEOCACHING 2006 (EK)
     HU1163'AN ADDDITION TO THE BUILDING HAS BEEN BUILT TO THE NORTH - DISK IS
     HU1163'LOCATED ROUGHLY IN THE CENTER OF THE EAST FACE OF THE BUILDING BETWEEN
     HU1163'2 LARGE DOORS.
     HU1163
     HU1163                          STATION RECOVERY (2008)
     HU1163
     HU1163'RECOVERY NOTE BY J A RICE INC 2008 (MRA)
     HU1163'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
     HU1163
     HU1163                          STATION RECOVERY (2011)
     HU1163
     HU1163'RECOVERY NOTE BY INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS 2011 (RNH)
     HU1163'THE MARKER IS FOUND TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION BY THE TOWN OF OCEAN CITY
     HU1163'ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.

    Log: Recovered in good condition on Friday, 10/24/2025 at 7:39am EDT. I thought I would look for a couple of benchmarks this morning while walking from our condo to a geocache just north of the Rt 90 bridge. This one was easy to spot as I approached from the road. The building is currently vacant, as the fire department has moved to a newer building a little bit south of here.

  • Gracefully Ethopian Yirgacheffe Worka Sakaro

    Gracefully Ethopian Yirgacheffe Worka Sakaro

    • Beans: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Worka Sakaro – Natural Processed
      • Roaster: Gracefully Coffee Roasters (Baltimore, MD)
      • Origin: Worka Sakaro, Gedeb District, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia
      • Roast level: Light
      • Roast date: 10/2/2025
      • Purchase date: 10/7/2025 from Gracefully curbside café
        First cup: 10/16/2025; Last cup:
      • Milling process: natural; Drying process: sun dried, raised beds; Elevation: 2000 MASL; Varietal: Ethiopian Heirloom
      • Tasting notes: Peach syrup, pineapple, blueberry
    • Switch with Ode grinder (1 cup):
      • 21g coffee / 300g water (1:14.3)
      • Ode: 2
      • Water at 100°C
      • Single Cup V60 Pourover with 50-60g bloom and 60g pulses – keep drain closed until end of bloom – Finishes around 03:15-3:20

    I’m brewing this exactly the same way as Gracefully Ethiopia Sidamo Durato Bombe, except at a slightly lower ratio (21g/300g vs 22g/300g). To me, the two taste very similar, which didn’t really surprise me, although it’s been a few months since I’ve had the Sidamo Durato. Neither struck me as particularly fruit-forward, in spite of the stated tasting notes. I started these out at 22g/300g, but it seemed a little too overpowering at that ratio. I brewed the first 2 or 3 cups in the size 2 V60 before trying the Switch. I’m not sure I could tell in a blind taste test, but I believe that I prefer the Switch cups, so I’m sticking with that for now. I’ll also be brewing a couple of AeroPress cups this week, so it’ll be interesting to see how they turn out.

    10/24: I brewed two AeroPress cups this past week using my usual recipe, one cup with sub-boiling water from a drip coffee machine, and another using boiling water from a microwave. The latter was better, but neither was anything to write home about — I’m sure I could tweak things one way or another to get better cups, but I suspect that as with a lot of other top-shelf light roast coffees, I’m probably better off sticking with pour-over. This afternoon, I went back to brewing with the Switch, and it was quite good. It seems like more of the fruity/acidic flavors are starting to come out as the beans age — they are right around 3 weeks past roast date now.

  • Fall Fun

    Fall Fun

    I ran my second half marathon of the season yesterday. My goal is to try to run that distance about once a month from October through April or so. I definitely think it’s doable, but every time I run a half, I wonder to myself how the heck people run full marathons. Maybe that will seem more attainable over time as I work on my conditioning for longer runs. I was trying to take it kind of easy yesterday, and the run felt pretty good, but was very slow, with an average pace of around 11:40/mile. The only discomfort I felt was the pesky ache in the top of my left foot, which I’ve had on and off for years. Not sure what causes it, but it never seems to get any better or any worse. Massage gun, stretching, and trigger point release with a golf ball all help somewhat, and I’ve just kind of learned to live with it. Other than that, I can tell my body is getting back into shape for longer runs, as I feel fully recovered 36 hours later and ready to run again tomorrow morning.

    This morning, I got out for my annual paddle on the tidal Patapsco, launching at Southwest Area Park (which was quite busy on this balmy October morning). I paddled upstream and back for a total distance of 5.6 miles. The water was as high as I had ever seen it. At 3 hours past high tide, it was up near the top of the concrete boat launch ramp, and the adjacent pier looked like it had been underwater at high tide. I suspect that the culprit was onshore flow from a strong south to southeast wind. I had to turn around just past MD 648 due to time constraints, but I’m curious how far upstream I could have gotten given more time. Usually, I can make it to around the MD 295 overpass, or I-695 if I’m lucky, before the water gets too shallow to continue. I’ll have to see if I can get here another time when conditions are similar.

  • Gracefully Clumsy Girl (bag #2)

    Gracefully Clumsy Girl (bag #2)

    • Beans: Clumsy Girl (blend)
      • Roaster: Gracefully Coffee Roasters (Baltimore, MD)
      • Roast level: Medium
      • Origin: Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Costa Rica
      • Roast date: 10/02/2025
      • Purchase date: 10/07/2025 at Gracefully Curbside Cafe (2601 N Rolling Rd Ste 104, Windsor Mill, MD)
      • First cup: 10/08/2025; last cup: 10/16/2025
      • Tasting notes: Chocolate, almond, and ripe berry
      • Previous bag: February/March 2025
    • Switch (pour-over style):
      • 20g coffee / 300g water (1:15)
      • Ode: 3+2
      • Water at 99°C
      • Recipe: Single Cup V60 Pourover — keep drain closed for bloom and then open at 0:45
    • French press:
      • 21g coffee / 300g water
      • Ode: 9
      • Water at 99°C
      • Preheat press with insta-hot water and add coffee. Pour to 60g and agitate to get all of the grounds wet. Bloom until between 0:30 and 0:45. Top water up to 300g and stir a few times with a spoon. Put lid on press and steep until 06:00 to 07:00. Press slowly and pour immediately.
    • Switch (immersion style a la French press):
      • 21g coffee / 300g water
      • Ode: 9
      • Water at 99°C
      • Preheat Switch with insta-hot water, and then moisten filter with kettle water. Close Switch drain, add coffee, make an indentation in the middle, pour to 60g, agitate, and bloom until 0:45. Top water up to 300g and swirl or stir a few times. Steep until 06:15 and open Switch drain.
    • AeroPress with JX grinder:

    Although I’m now on my second bag, the irony of “Clumsy Girl” vs “Gracefully Coffee Roasters” didn’t dawn on me until just now. All I can say is that I never claimed to be the most perceptive guy around. 😀 I have a theory that this blend is named after a dog (or other pet), but haven’t yet asked to see if I’m correct.

    I made a few tweaks with this bag: slightly finer grind (3+2 vs 4), slightly higher water temperature (99 vs 95), and Switch vs regular V60 cone. The first 3 cups have been pretty good. I’m finding that with a lot of coffees, if I don’t let the cup cool enough initially, the first few sips can have a slightly harsh or bitter taste. But then, once it cools to an optimal drinking temperature, it gets smoother and mellower, and the flavors balance out. This blend is definitely a case in point. Last time, I noted some watery/under-extracted cups near the end of the bag, and I’m wondering if it’s because I was trying to compensate for that perceived initial bitterness. It will be interesting to see how things go with the rest of this bag.

    10/11: My pour-over cups have been tasting a little over-extracted the past couple of days. For this morning, I switched from the Switch (no pun intended) to a regular size 2 V60 cone and grind setting 4+1. It took until almost 03:00 to drain down, and tasted almost exactly the same as the Switch cups. That tells me that for pour-over, I could probably get away with using a coarser grind with a regular V60 cone. With that said, I’m kind of wondering if immersion is a better way to go with this blend. This afternoon, for kicks, I tried brewing it in the French press (see above). The resulting cup was mellower and better-balanced than any of the pour-overs, with no annoying bitterness. The French press is never going to be my first choice for daily single-cup brewing, but I’m wondering if I could get similar results using the Switch with a full-immersion brew and a coarse grind. Sounds like I’ve got something to try tomorrow morning.

    10/12: I tried a French press-style brew in the Switch this morning (see above). This was my first time brewing a coarse grind with a long steep time in the Switch, and I’d call it a success. It turned out very similar to yesterday afternoon’s cup, with a little bit more in the way of fruity/acidic notes. As one would expect, there were no grounds or other residue in the cup, and the cleanup was easier than with the press. It does take longer than a pour-over or AeroPress brew, which could be an issue on mornings when I am pressed for time. Lastly, the jury is out on whether stirring or swirling is better after pouring all the water. I swirled this time, which worked fine, but I did end up with a few grounds stuck up around the top of the cone. I’m going to stir next time to see if it eliminates this.

    10/15: Brewed in the AeroPress per above. This was my first time brewing this blend in the AeroPress. I think this was my favorite cup so far. It had more of a chocolate/almond flavor than any of my previous cups.

  • End of 2025 Pool Season

    End of 2025 Pool Season

    Well, it’s that time of year again. I took what will most likely be my final swim of the year yesterday. The pool temperature had been holding pretty steady at 76°F for the past couple of weeks, thanks to abundant sunshine and air temperatures hitting 80° or so most days, but all of that is going to be changing over the next couple of nights. In particular, tomorrow night is supposed to get down to the low 40s. That, combined with all of the leaves starting to fall, is going to finally put an end to swimming in 2025. In spite of a late start (June 6), a week away on vacation, and a week lost to poor weather in late August, it was a great season. I wrapped up with 82 swims, beating 2021’s count of 80, and just shy of 2022’s count of 84. I beat my previous latest swim date, October 4 (set in 2021), by 3 days. I swam 4 times in October, making this my first year with more than 1 October swim. Lastly, I set a record of 58,626 total strokes, eclipsing 2022 by around 4000 strokes.

    No end-of-season swimming post is complete without a mention of our all-time latest date in the pool, October 9, 2007. It’s taken 18 seasons to come this close to matching that date, but it appears that the record is going to stand for another year. Earlier this season, out of curiosity, I took a look at historical climatology data for September-October, and 2007 was an outlier — the weather was warmer and drier over that period than any other year we’ve owned our pool. Our kids were little then, and they were the last ones in the pool that year — this year, it was me, swimming my laps. My wife and I are getting more apt to swim in cooler water as the years go by, so I’d say that the odds of October swimming happening are increasing year-to-year, but who knows if we’ll be in the house long enough to have a shot at that elusive October 10 swim.

    After struggling with calf tightness for most of the summer, I gave up backstroke at around the end of August with the intention of working on my kicking next year. For a couple of weeks, I also gave up front crawl, and was swimming 6 sets of 60 breaststroke/60 butterfly for a total of 720 strokes, which was rather taxing on my shoulders. Eventually, I corrected my front crawl kicking, and switched to 4 sets of 60 breast/60 butterfly/60 front crawl. At the very end of the season, I reintroduced a tiny bit of backstroke, swimming alternating sets of 60 breast/60 butterfly/60 front crawl and 45 breast/45 front crawl/45 butterfly/45 backstroke. At this point, I feel pretty good about my front crawl kicking, but still have work to do with backstroke.

    So long, 2025 swimming season. We’ll see what 2026 holds in store!

  • New Apple Watch

    New Apple Watch

    This week, I finally took the plunge and bought a new Apple Watch. I bought my first watch, an SE, in late summer 2022. It served me well for almost 2 years of regular running, biking, and swimming. Then, last summer, it died a few hours after the first time I took it in the pool. Although I missed a lot of the watch’s features, I was a little annoyed to get less than 2 years out of it, so I held off for a year and a half before buying another one. The new watch is a series 11. Considering what these things cost, I’m really hoping this one lasts longer. I did spring for the AppleCare plan this time around, and I don’t think I’m going to swim with my watch any more.

    The new watch seems pretty nice, and it has a bunch of health features that I will make good use of (EKG, high blood pressure detection, sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, etc). I also prefer the workout tracking on the watch to the Polar app I had been using on my phone. I took my first run with the watch this morning, and quickly realized how much I had missed having one. The first thing I found out was that my cadence has slowed over the past year and a half — I used to average around 180 steps/minute, but today’s run was 160 steps/minute. I enabled cadence alerts for my next run, which will hopefully help me get that number back up. Another thing I noticed was that, like my old watch, this one tracks distance differently than the Polar app. Specifically, with the watch, I had to run about 1/10 of a mile farther to hit 7 miles than I did with the phone and the app. Not sure if it’s an algorithmic thing (e.g. one tracker sampling the GPS more often that the other), a GPS accuracy thing (the watch has its own GPS receiver), or maybe a little of both. I’m also curious which of the two is more accurate.

    Although the watch is 2mm larger than my old SE (46mm vs 44mm; the other option was 42mm, which seemed too small) I was happy to learn that it uses the same size bands. I bought my SE with a silicone adjustable sport band, so I changed things up and ordered a textile “sport loop” band with the new watch. Initial impressions: I prefer the look and feel of the textile band, and its hook-and-loop closure allows for more fine adjustment than the pin-and-holes closure on the silicone band. The latter, though, is easier to put on and take off, and more sweat-proof. I ran with the textile band today, and when I was finished, it was wet from perspiration, which means that it would likely get “funky” after a few runs in the summer humidity. I suspect I’ll end up using the silicone band for workouts, and the textile band for everyday wear and potentially sleeping. I also have a handmade leather band for more formal occasions.

  • Night Swim

    Night Swim

    I finally got out for an after-dark swim tonight. It only took until the end of the season. I often take night swims in August and September, but up until today, this year had been an exception. I’m kind of amazed that I’ve never had to replace the bulbs in either of the underwater lights in 24 seasons. I have no idea how old they were when we moved into the house. They just keep going and going. The bulbs are something like 300 watts each. When I turn them on, I think the lights on the entire block dim. We probably should replace them with low-voltage LED lights, but we don’t use the lights enough to make it worth the expense.

    It’s been a good swimming season. Today was my 76th swim, eclipsing last year’s total of 75. I’ve also passed 2022’s latest swim date of September 27. If I can swim one more time this year, I’ll set a record for stroke count, passing 2022’s mark of 54,696. Two records that likely will stand are 2022’s total count of 84 swims, and 2021’s latest swim date of October 4. To hit 84 this year, I’d have to swim until at least October 6, which I don’t see happening. Swimming later than October 4 is not out of the realm of possibility, but we’ve got a cool-down coming at the end of this week, so I’d say it’s unlikely. You never know, though!

  • Brewing Good Guatemala F.E.V.

    Brewing Good Guatemala F.E.V.

    • Beans: Guatemala – Finca El Valle
      • Roaster: Brewing Good Coffee Company (Savage, MD)
      • Origin: Guatemala (Antigua)
      • Roast level: Light
      • Roast date: 9/2/2025
      • Purchase date: 9/12/2025 at BGCC in Savage Mill
        First cup: 9/24/2025; Last cup: 10/6/2025
      • Process: washed; Varietals: Red Bourbon, Typica, Yellow Bourbon; Altitude: 1500 MASL
      • Tasting notes: Nectarine, dark chocolate, cherry
    • V60 or Switch with Ode:
      • 20g coffee / 300g water (1:15)
      • Ode: 2
      • Water at 100°C
      • Recipe: Single Cup V60 Pourover with Switch or size 2 cone, 60g bloom water and 60g pulses – finishes 02:50-03:00 — Switch: keep drain closed for bloom and then open
    • AeroPress with JX:

    This coffee tastes almost exactly as I expected it would. It is quite fruity/acidic with light to medium body. The Switch cup had maybe a tiny bit more “bottom end” (for lack of a better description — on second tasting, maybe I’d call it chocolate undertone), but the difference was fairly subtle. After two years of making pourovers, I think I’m finally getting a little better at choosing initial settings (grind size in particular) for brewing different types of beans.

    10/1: My usual AeroPress recipe (link above) yielded a cup that was a little bit roastier and less fruit-forward than the Switch cup. I like it either way. I wonder if a longer steep in the Switch with the drain closed would taste similar to the AeroPress cup.

  • Run and Swim Notes

    Run and Swim Notes

    Today was my first run of 13.1+ miles since May. The weather is finally getting amenable to longer runs, and I’m slowly getting myself back into shape for it. I’m going to try to keep up with last year’s routine of one longer run per week, typically 10-12 miles, and a 13-15 miler once per month or so. Today’s run felt pretty good, with no discomfort anywhere (as long as I stayed relaxed) and I averaged 10:50/mile, which is surprisingly fast for me for this distance. Several hours later, I’ve got a little bit of residual soreness on the outside of my left heel, which is the same area that has bothered me off and on all summer. I’m hitting it a lot with the massage gun, which definitely helps it, but it’s something I’m going to need to keep an eye on. I think it will become less of an issue as I get re-acclimated to running these distances after my annual summer mileage drop-off. The route I chose today was an experiment that took me down Landing Road from Ilchester to Montgomery. I don’t think I’ll be running there again. It is too narrow, with too much speeding traffic and poor sight lines. It was definitely the least enjoyable portion of the run.

    I swam this afternoon, matching my latest swim of 2024. I’m still 4 swims behind 2024’s total swim count, mainly because of the weather in late August that cost us a week of swimming. Based on the weather forecast for this week, I think there’s a pretty good chance I’ll end up eclipsing 2024’s total swim count. Things start to look a little dodgy at the end of the week, so we’ll see if we can stretch the pool season any later than that.

    My right shoulder has been bothering me after swimming lately. I suspect it’s a combination of poor technique and also more breaststroke/butterfly/front crawl strokes since I stopped doing backstroke for the season. Since I seem to have resolved my kicking issues with the front crawl, maybe it’s time to pick the backstroke back up and cut down a bit on the forward strokes. All the same, today I took things pretty easy, trying to stay relaxed and avoid overextending my arms, and it seems to have helped things. Next season, I really want to work more on technique to avoid the various swimming related issues I’ve had this past summer. As with most other activities, I think it’s possible to get away with poor swimming technique to a point, but swimming (almost) every day is another story.