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July 27, 2005

stroller jones part 2

I seem to remember promising to go into more detail about strollers and our whole thought process around them. So here's my 2 cents on various strollers. Obviously, I didn't look at every brand and model out there, but concentrated on a few that I thought would fit our wants and needs.

First of all, we wanted something that could handle your basic surburban outdoor stroll. Sidewalks, not all of which are in good shape. Sometimes you've got the tree roots pushing up from underneath, other places, you've got cracks in the slabs.
Then there is the gravel that covers some of the trails around the area. On top of that, it might sound amazing, but in the middle of one of the more metropolitan centers in the US, we live only a few minutes away from nature in the form of the (rapidly diminishing) open area directly around San Francisco Bay. Not that I need a stroller that can go over marshes and wetlands (hovercraft accessory sold separately) but there are trails that go through those areas as well. What this means in stroller speak, is air-filled tires, which can handle rough terrain much better than the hard rubber of traditional strollers.

Then the mental struggle came in as to buying a stroller to do what I *want* us to do as opposed to buying a stroller to fit what we *currently* do. In that ideal world in my head, we're going to start getting more outdoorsy. Hiking, camping, walking along the beach, things like that. The reality? Jenn isn't a big camper, and having a baby tends to tire people out at a faster rate than the usual, thereby discouraging people from undertaking the more strenuous activities. (Then again, that hasn't stopped Jenn from introducing Naomi to malls already). So I spent a long time debating between strollers which could go both indoor and outdoor equally well, or ones which were more specialized towards indoors.

This was due in part for the desire to get just one stroller and have it serve these multiple purposes. The "Holy Grail", all-purpose stroller, if you will. On my favorite board, many people opined that this wasn't possible and went into great detail on why they owned 4-5 strollers each!!! Since we don't have that kind of money, we stubbornly pushed on for the "closest thing" to an all-purpose stroller.

Onto the strollers we took a gander at:

1) Peg Perego P3 Pliko Classico

Weight: 17.6 lbs
Dimensions: 34.5"(L)x21"(W)x40.25"(H)
Price:$289 at Babies 'r Us

This mouthful of a name is an Italian-made umbrella-style stroller that looks like an old-style umbrella stroller on steroids. This was the one umbrella stroller that we had in mind from day one, based on Baby Bargains recommendations. It was also nice that it was available at Babies R' Us so we could take it for a test drive, check how it folded (pretty easy, once you get the hang of it), and its carrying weight and portability. The one thing that I held me back for a long time was the fact that its tires weren't air-filled and, for some reason, I kept thinking were hard plastic. This led to fears of going clack-clack along the sidewalk and making for a cranky baby. This was dispelled, when after explaing this fear to one salesman, was told, "Um, just touch the tires." To my surprise, they felt more like a synthetic, spongy tire rather than the hard plastic that for some reason I had thought it would be. It comes with a cupholder that tends to break off and really is too small to carry anything other than a child's cup. Finally, one complaint that is shared by many parents about this stroller is that you can't really get to the underseat basket from the back, but you have to stick stuff in from either the front or the sides. More of annoyance than anything else.

2) Mountain Buggy Urban Single

Weight: 22 lbs.
Dimensions: 42"(L)x26"(W)x42"H)
Price: $399 at StrollandGo

Coming to you from New Zealand, this is has been very highly rated from everything that we read. It features a three wheel configuration where the front wheel can either be locked or unlocked so that it can swivel and be more manuverable. We took this for a test drive around Lullaby Lane (Naomi was more than gracious and slept through us putting her carseat on various strollers). It handled incredibly well, especially one handed (It helps that the handlebars are actually connected by a crossbar). The tires are air-filled, making for kind of a bouncy ride. Mounting the carseat to this was a bit funky in that you actually need to remove the existing canvas seating, so that the end product with the carseat bar added looks very skeletal, much like the Kolcraft Snap-N-Go. Its fold is a bit on the bulky side and is a two part-fold (you have to fold it in half once, and then fold another piece down). Also, with all accessories included, it becomes quite expensive.

3) Bumbleride Rocket

Weight: 25 lbs.
Dimensions: 40"(L)x23"(W)x42"(H)
Price: $289 at StrollandGo

The Bumbleride brand was introduced by a husband and wife who were not satisfied with the color choices provided on most strollers out there, so the fabrics on this stroller come in very bright and vibrant colors. This is another all-terrain stroller that comes in a three-wheel swivel configuration. We tried this one out as well at Lullaby Lane (although not with Naomi in it). It felt lighter than the Mountain Buggy Urban Single (or MBUS in shorthand) but measured out a bit taller. The design does seem well thought out, with ideas such as a little pocket on the backside of the sunshade. It is a fairly new product though, having been on the market only this year, I think, so there haven't been many reviews on it.

4) Valco Runabout

Weight: 25 lbs.
Dimensions: 36"(L)x26"(W)x40"(H)
Price: $375 at StrollandGo

Heard a lot about this one on the Baby Bargains forum, so we had to chase this down to another store in Menlo Park just to see what it was all about. Like all others on our list (except the P3), it is a all-terrain, 3-wheel stroller with a lockable front wheel. What it has that the others don't is the ability to add a toddler seat so that it becomes a double stroller. And a much better-sized double stroller than most of the ones you see out there, which are side-by-side strollers. Since the toddler seat mounts in front of the existing seat, it retains the original width. You do always have to take the toddler out first to prevent the stroller from tipping over though. We tried it out, but unfortunately, the store was too small for us to really get a good feel for its handling.

5) Bugaboo Frog

Weight: 22 lbs
Dimensions: 37.4"(L)x23.65"(W)x42"(H)
Price: $729 at StrollandGo

The famous (or infamous) $700 stroller made popular by Sex in the City (never watched it, so I don't know when they showed this stroller). Why does it cost $700? Who knows? Why do people pay $700 for it? Many people feel it represents the best of both worlds, for both indoor and outdoor strolling. It sports a 4 wheel configuration, with 2 small wheels and 2 large air-filled tires. And it makes its money from its excellently designed customizability. You can reverse the handle so the baby can face towards you or away from you. You can adjust the angle of the seat from upright all the way to reclining. You can pop out the seat and carry it and pop in a bassinet instead. On the negative side, it isn't the lightest stroller around, and it has a two part fold, so it isn't as portable as most of the umbrella strollers out there. While I put Naomi's carseat into one just for kicks, there's no way I can rationalize putting that much money into a stroller.

6) Phil and Ted's e3 Explorer

Weight: 21 lbs
Dimensions: 37"(L)x23"(W)x43"(H)
Price: $380 at The Right Start

I haven't had a chance to see this one in person yet as it is popular enough that it seems to be constantly in short supply. Another one from New Zealand (the terrain must be murder on poor old umbrella strollers there), this is the other entry on this list that offers a unique add-on. You can add a toddler seat onto the e3, but it goes on the back (as opposed to the front of the Valco Runabout). This gives it many of the advantages of the Runabout, but you definitely have to take the toddler out first, otherwise the whole stroller is pitching backwards. Also, some parents have mentioned that this toddler seat is a little too close to the ground (and to the rear wheels) for them to be comfortable.

7) Quinny Buzz

Weight: 26.5 lbs
Dimensions: 42"(L)x25.5"(W)x39"(H)
Price: approx $500 at Babycare.nl

This stroller has caught the eye of the savvy parents looking for the "next Bugaboo". It does run a bit cheaper, but currently is not sold in the US -- you have to import it. (And somehow, crazy parents do so). Like, the Bugaboo, it allows for reversible seating, which many parents like because they can face their children during these walks. Its three wheeled configuration is unique among these others because it has a pneumatic suspension system (think office chair). Unfortunately, parents have reported that it is a bit on the wide side and that its weight and fold makes it not the best candidate for popping in and out of a trunk.

8) BOB Revolution

Weight: 22.6 lbs.
Dimensions: 45.8"(L)x23"(W)x41"(H)
Price: $359 at StrollandGo

BOB is a big name maker of jogging strollers, which are essentially the same as all-terrain strollers except they have a fixed wheel and (by necessity) a better suspension. BOB brought out the Revolution as its crossover model. It shows its jogging stroller lineage in its bigger sunshade, larger rear wheels, and springy suspension. However, these same rear wheels make it more difficult for mall and store aisle navigation. Sueanna and Waymond do have this as their outdoor stroller and give a favorable report on it.

Ultimately, all of the all-terrain strollers fit the SUV adage of doing all things, but none of them well. They aren't recommended as full-time jogging strollers, and they are large enough to be a bit inconvenient for trunk-storing, store-walking, errand-running strollers. But I can't help but want one of these for the day we head out camping, or out hiking, or to the beach. Then again, maybe we should wait to do these things until Naomi can enjoy them by *not* necessarily being in a stroller.

Posted by spoof747 at 06:41 PM | Comments (0)

July 26, 2005

sometimes you really have to just see it

came across an old friend's ebay auction today, and words cannot really describe it. So I'll just say that Ken, I'm glad to hear that you and the family are all ok.

Recently completed Ebay auction -- for a sling

Posted by spoof747 at 11:31 PM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2005

cool show

Saw this while flipping through channels last Saturday and it seemed really interesting. Apparently Nickelodeon is airing an animated series called Avatar: The Last Airbender. Ok, the title is a bit hokey, but I really got hooked once I found out that they actually divided their characters into elemental areas (Air, Fire, Earth, Water) and then gave them each distinctive fighting styles based on those elements. They based them in actual styles such as Bagua, Hung Gar, and Tai Chi. Apparently, the animators even took martial arts lessons in specific disciplines to get a better insight into how to animate them.

Here is a brief synopsis of the show, taken from its Wikipedia entry:

In a lost age, the world is divided into four nations: Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. Within each nation, there is a remarkable order of men and women called the "Benders" who can learn to harness their inborn talent and manipulate their native element. Bending is a powerful form combining martial art and elemental magic.

In each generation, only one Bender is capable of controlling all four elements. That Bender is the Avatar. The Avatar is the spirit of the world manifested in human form. When the Avatar dies, it reincarnates into the next nation in the cycle (air, water, earth and fire). Starting with the mastery of his or her native element, the Avatar learns to bend all four elements in the order of the cycle. Throughout the ages, the countless incarnations of the Avatar have served to keep the four nations in harmony.

About one hundred years prior to the story, during the Air period of the Avatar cycle, the Firebenders attacked. Just as the world needed the Avatar the most, he mysteriously vanished. A hundred years later, the Fire Nation is near final victory in its ruthless war of world domination. The Air Nomads were destroyed, the Air Temples ravished, and all Airbender monks eradicated. The Water Tribes were raided and driven to the brink of extinction. The Earth Kingdom remains and fights a hopeless war against the Fire Nation. Many believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken.

In the desolated South Pole, a lone Water tribe struggles to survive. It is here that the village's last remaining Waterbender Katara and her warrior brother Sokka rescue a strange 12-year-old boy named Aang who has been suspended in hibernation in an iceberg. The tribe soon discovers that Aang is not only an Airbender--the extinct race no one has seen in a century--but also the long lost Avatar. Now Katara and Sokka must safeguard the child Avatar in his journey to master all four elements and save the world from the Fire Nation.

While the basic storyline of the main character (Aang) going on a journey of self-discovery is a pretty standard construct, they've tossed in some interesting aspects. For example, the "sidekick" characters (Katara and Sokka) aren't cardboard cutouts but take their turns in the spotlight very frequently. They don't just have a single episode devoted to them and spend the rest in the background. Also, the main foil is an arrogant enemy who while, striving to chase after and catch the main character, is already giving off hints that he may become an ally down the road. But its not going to come easy, because he really HATES the main character *and* he's got father issues to boot. The characters actually have some depth to them, which is unusual in an American cartoon.

Also, I didn't notice a single reused frame in the 2 episodes I watched, which was something that annoyed me to no end when I was younger. It always seemed so cheap and lazy when you would notice every fight scene utilizing the same stock footage. Robotech was guilty of that, as was almost every series that I remember from my childhood. Then again, the "cartoons" from that age were supposedly little more than advertising vehicles (G.I. Joe and Transformers) which is part of the reason why Japanese animation was so refreshing when it first aired.

They just started airing this in February of this year, which means it hasn't run its course yet. As a matter of fact, I just caught the announcement that it has been renewed for a second seasion. I'm actually disappointed that it hasn't finished airing yet, so I can watch it in its entirety. (yet another modern-day quirk that has been aided by the likes of the VCR and the Internet). Maybe I will break in my PVR machine with a regular schedule of recording this show.

Check it out on Nickelodeon (they're currently airing reruns for the summer several times a week)!

Nickelodeon's official Avatar site (needs Macromedia Flash. LOTS of it)

Wikipedia page for Avatar: The Last Airbender

Posted by spoof747 at 02:49 AM | Comments (0)

July 20, 2005

blogging as a form of procrastination

here is a new one -- its 3AM and i have work to do. i have something that i told my boss that i would get done by tomorrow morning, or should i say this morning. which actually means in a few hours. and yet, i have absolutely no desire to get started on it. its kind of sad actually. i've been surfing for a few hours, and now an entry to prolong the wait until i actually do the work.

why am i such a night owl? i like to say that its because my parents raised me with a strict bedtime of 8:30PM. . . .until the tenth grade. that's when i negotiated and got them to move it to 10:30PM (this is why i didn't follow my dream of becoming a hostage negotiator). no, i wasn't raised in an amish household, my parents were actually quite forward-thinking and chose logic over tradition in what they taught me. but they strongly believe in a good night's sleep (and still do). another sleep-related rule, while in high school, i wasn't allowed to drive unless i had gotten 8 hours of sleep.

unfortunately, that is one lesson that i can't seem to take to heart. i started staying up late in college, but then again, everyone does that. for many, its the first taste of absolute freedom (especially if you move out of your parents' place). when i first started working, i actually treated it like college too, which wasn't a good idea (cutting class is much easier than blowing off work). i did try to live like a normal little drone occasionally, sleeping early to get up early, but i kept finding things to occupy the late night time. Online chatting, computer games, surfing. . .it also amuses me that most of my friends have realized the benefit of that good night of sleep and are hitting the sack at midnight or before, while i still stubbornly keep crazy hours. That's another reason I think I stay awake -- its a (very stupid) way of saying that, "Hey, I'm young, I can still pull this off". Although in all honesty, its harder to do 5 hours of sleep and be fresh the next day. I think my body compensates by crashing for extra hours on the weekends, when I used to not need that.

And the next big excuse I have for this is back when jenn and i were dating. we got into this habit of being homebodies most nights we saw each other and eventually catnapping before we had to wake up and I'd drive her back to her parents' house at in the wee hours of the morning. Which made me wide awake (ok not that awake) once i returned home. I think that's when I (finally) got into networked FPS computer games, specifically Castle Wolfenstein: Return to Enemy Territory. Why?

a) I finally got high-speed internet for the house for the first time in my life, having exhausted the excuse of "hey, i have it at work, why pay for it at home"

b) this particular game is a free download. Why yes, I am cheap.

That *really* started screwing up my system when I would drop Jenn off at 1AM or so, get back home, and get on the game server and play until 5AM, and get into work at 10AM or so. I don't do that anymore, although I do play now and then.

Naomi's sleep habits are my newest excuse for being up at these odd hours. As a matter of fact, we put her to sleep on my side of the bed tonight (sometimes, she likes sleeping in our bed) so when i *do* finally go to sleep, it will be on one of the futons.

hey, what do you know? i'm actually feeling tired now. i must be boring myself to sleep. there's a thought.

Posted by spoof747 at 03:16 AM | Comments (0)

July 17, 2005

blargh

the weekend is just too damn short.

Posted by spoof747 at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)

July 08, 2005

read between the lines

running all day just to stay in the same place

answering questions that have been answered many times before

having to repeat something sent in an e-mail sent a week earlier

my calendar is booked solid

my list of tasks grows ever longer

so many new things to learn

so many bad habits to break

its a dog eat dog world and i'm wearing milkbone underwear

i need more than 24 hours in 1 day

i think i'll pop in office space again

Posted by spoof747 at 01:42 AM | Comments (2)

July 07, 2005

flickr is so cool

wanted first to apologize for going dark for this past few weeks. i was getting used to a schedule where i have gone back to work, but when i get home, i'm not chilling out in front of the computer or tv right away but i'm trying to help out Jenn with taking care of the baby or whatever i can. and it took me until now to realize that the schedule isn't going to change, that i just have more stuff to do now and i have to be more efficient with my time if i want to do all of this. i can hear a sarcastic "Good Luck" from somewhere inside my subconscious.

that being said, i finally accepted the gracious gift of a Flickr account from Dave and have started adding pictures to it. It is very cool how convenient it makes posting and blogging photos. Plus the ability to do notes on the photos? I used to love doing that the old-fashioned way. As a matter of fact, I have a small album of junior prom photos somewhere where I actually cut out little post-it thought bubbles and put them on the pictures.

My first Flickr test set was a few pictures from this past holiday weekend when we spent some time at Angela and Evance's after Gil's 30th birthday picnic. We just put the two kids, Kevan and Naomi, on the floor, and watched to see if they would notice each other. Judging from the pictures, you'll see that they did interact, if only briefly. Kevan is now 9 months old, and can crawl around, interact with people, play with toys. Naomi is doing good for her age (1.5 months) but is only now starting to interact with people (mainly by smiling) and she doesn't play with toys or other objects yet. You can see the difference in the shot where Kevan is reaching out and touching Naomi's face, while Naomi is doing her best to just lift her head up.

This photo here is my favorite shot from that set. Of course, its one of those things that if they become friends when they grow up, they'll find this picture very cool.

Posted by spoof747 at 03:13 PM | Comments (0)

July 04, 2005

back at work

my 6 weeks of freedom/diaper changing/do what I can around the house were up as of last Monday, so I had to go back to work.

joy.

Posted by spoof747 at 04:05 PM | Comments (0)