LUNA-TICS TEAM ROOM: Year-round "Looney" fun.

[Kona2]

Lunies on the Honor Board!!

Excellent! Nice that we ended up with a palindrome for a total ... I am sure it was meant to be! Always good to finish up a Challenge...but dang! There's ANOTHER one right around the corner, and some are still working on the other two February Challenges: the Ski Erg and the Military Challenges. I wasn't able to really see team members on the Military Challenge, but it looks like Jason H is representing the Lunies on the Ski Erg Challenge - good deal.

Mudseason = March = Madness

March Mudness Madness begins on March 1st and is the Lunies second favorite (after the Holiday Challenge) participation event. Will you stay alive at the 10K (pot of gold) level or the 5K (shamrock) for 25 of the 31 days??? Everyone is a little bit Irish - and the erg meters will be flying out of your meter piggy banks. In fact, we'll do so well that we should have our lunar virtual landing around mid-March (not to be confused with Middlemarch). We'll see how we do...we're clicking along at about a million meters every three days this month.

Lunies erging 10K or more a day earn their virtual pot of gold!

Lunies erging 5K or more (up to 10K) earn a shamrock for their efforts...gather ye shamrocks!

MILESTONES...Bragging Rights...Celebrations:

Distance remaining to lunar landing: 15,690,635 m

7.65 MM Ed
1.3 MM Dan O'
1.3 MM david w
1.15 MM Jason H
550 K Trevor
550 K Kellee
200 K Jim M
150 K Gines

Thanks, everyone, for erging with us!

GMan 1,517 m
Rich G 2,014 m
Leon 2,100 m
Carol 4,124 m
Cornel 4,177 m
Dennis 5,000 m
Rebecca 5,000 m
Robert E 5,000 m
Ryan 5,000 m
David T 5,500 m ... a double double!
Jim M 6,005 m
Dan O' 6,011 m
Tombeur 6,040 m
Trevor 6,040 m
Thor 6,196 m
Gines 6,492 m
Keith J 7,000 m
Kevin 7,021 m
Jason H 7,007 m ...a palindrome bookended with lucky 7's!
Jeff D 7,659 m
m .. a lucky 7 palindrome!
david w 8,000 m
Patrick S 12,207 m
Andrea 12,367 m
Sorin 14,136 m
David A 14,641 m ...a palindrome!
AJ 17,979 m
Minnie 18,111 m
Ron 18,681 m ...an 18er of a palindrome!
Gary 21,097 m ...he moons us!
Miles 26,960 m ... he moons us!
Ed m ...he moons us with a palindrome!
Kellee 132,000 m ... emptied the piggy meter bank!


Ah! Something else to look forward to in 2019...yes, it's the release of another Shaun the Sheep Movie (release date in US is 15 May)....this one is called Farmageddon...here's the trailer of what looks to be a spacey tale...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-xHeEOz1p0

[normadelaney]

Oooh, a new Shaun movie!!!

[Kona2]

Whoop, whoop, and well done! Congratulations, Warnie, on achieving a THREE million meter season - and there is still time to add to your meter piggy bank! We wish you many, MANY more!

[Kona2]

MILESTONES...Bragging Rights...Celebrations:

Distance remaining to lunar landing: 15,235,686 m

4.4 MM Ron
3.1 MM David A
3.0 MM Warnie
2.25 MM Ken G
1.45 MM Howard
1.15 MM Stuart
700 K Salvador
650 K Keith J
150 K Emma

Thanks, everyone, for erging with us!

Debbie 1,025 m
Maria M 1,537 m
Jamie B 3,093 m
Kevin Mc 3,890 m
Dan O' 4,324 m
Rebecca 5,000 m
Robert E 5,000 m
Leon 5,025 m
Tom M 6,000 m
Jamie E 6,009 m
Jim M 6,017 m
Tombeur 6,030 m
Emma 7,000 m
William H 7,041 m
Norma m ...a full deck palindrome!
Thor 7,889 m
Keith J 8,000 m
Jeff D 8,518 m
David T 9,500 m
Dennis 10,000 m
Louie 10,000 m
Doug 10,148 m
David A 11,270 m
Gary 11,475 m
Truthy 12,321 m ...a countem up and down palindrome!
Stuart m ...counting his meters...
Ian 12,801 m
Howard 13,013 m ...a double aught double!
Patrick S 14,138 m
Laurie 15,707 m
danwho 18,181 m ...an 18er of a palindrome!
Ron 18,181 m ...another 18er of a palindrome!
Steve W 21,097 m ... he moons us!
Miles 31,590 m ... he moons us!
Ken G 45,000 m ...good update!
Salvador 79,007 m ...good update with a bit of secret agent built in!

[Kona2]

Whoop, whoop and it's not even on the water season! Congratulations, Steve, on achieving a TWO million meter erging season! We wish you many, MANY more!!

[Kona2]

Welcome to new teammate Dave! We wish you much good camaraderie and many good erging sessions!


Since we're in the time between Challenges, gearing up for the March run of the ergs, other lunar, and loosely lunar-related, distractions have trickled into sight. Friends visiting New Zealand posted a photo of Wakachangi beer - a product that started as a joke of "what if I created a beer called Wakachangi" by a New Zealand comedian, Leigh Hart. Not such a joke, this simple brew (Leigh H says that it is not a craft beer) is selling quite a few cases weekly and expanding its markets. Leigh H owns Moon TV, and uses that platform to produce (and perhaps star in) commercials for this product.


... not advocating it, just showing you the packaging...

One of their commercials...over the top entertainment from another Moon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq8YLo9ZiMs

MILESTONES...Bragging Rights...Celebrations:


Distance remaining to lunar landing: 14,837,793 m


3.25 MM Minnie
2.95 MM Greg F
2 MM Steve W
1.7 MM Norma
1.45 MM Dennis
850 K Tombeur
400 K GMan
50 K Dave P

Thanks, everyone, for erging with us!


William H 2,000 m
GMan 3,037 m
Maria 3,512 m
David T 4,000 m
Laurie 5,000 m
Leon 5,000 m
Patrick Hsr 5,000 m
Rebecca 5,000 m
Josh 5,017 m
Cornel 6,000 m
Tombeur 6,064 m
Jason H 6,083 m
Bernie 6,199 m
Rick 6,236 m
Jonathan 7,073 m
m ....a lucky 7 palindrome!
Steve W 8,000 m
Bill Lmn 8,064 m
Jeff D 8,510 m
Rich Mc 9,030 m
Danno 9,563 m
Derric 10,000 m
Keith J 10,000 m
Matthew R 10,000 m
Howard 10,014 m
Dennis 10,432 m
Ron 16,861 m ...a 16er of a palindrome!
Minnie 18,283 m
Truthy 21,097 m ...he moons us after completing a string of 10Ks...was it easier?!
Salvador 25,572 m .. he moons us!
Greg F 28,013 m ... he moons us!
Miles 33,210 m ... he moons us, too!
Dave P 78,296 m ...empties his meter piggy bank and joins us!

[Truthy]

Hey, Kona, to answer your question: It wasn't

I've decided to do half marathons on Sundays since I have enough free time. I'm not shooting for speed, it's for endurance. So I'm taking more breaks and doing it while watching TV. I didn't feel any pain afterwards so I think that's still progress.

I'll do other workouts on Mondays to recover. And a few rowing sessions around 10K on other days. Hope this way I can gradually improve my overall performance.

[Kona2]

... will be here before you know it...although February seems to be going on and on and on!

Yep, you'll be gathering shamrocks and pots o gold before you even realize it!

MILESTONES...Bragging Rights...Celebrations:

Distance remaining to lunar landing: 14,526,239 m

7.7 MM Ed
1.8 MM danwho
1.05 MM Baz
500 K David W ...a cool half million!
500 K Leon ....another cool half million!
450 K Jeff D
100 K Sharon

Thanks, everyone, for erging with us!

Jason H 2,426 m
Jim M 3,043 m
Leon 3,600 m
Dave 3,722 m
GMan 3,734 m
Chuck E 5,000 m
Rebecca 5,000 m
Josh 6,065 m
David W 6,316 m
Kevin Mc 7,000 m
Steve W 7,000 m
Sharon 7,563 m
Jeff D 7,744 m ...a double double!
m ...lucky 7 palindrome...still winter...
Robert E 10,000 m
Tombeur 10,029 m
Danno 10,116 m
Howard 11,015 m
K2 12,000 m
danwho 13,531 m ...a palindrome!
Ron 16,161 m ...a 16er of a palindrome!
Minnie 19,226 m
Baz 20,000 m
Greg F 21,769 m ...and he moons us!
David A 25,061 m ... he moons us!
Ed m ....a devilishly cold, snowy palindrome! Right in the middle of Qatar...

[Kona2]

Hooboy! It's a day of palindromes! Bring 'em on!

MILESTONES...Bragging Rights...Celebrations:

Distance remaining to lunar landing: 14,157,029 m

7.75 MM Ed
4.45 MM Ron
3.05 MM Miles
1.45 MM David T
1.45 MM Patrick S
1.2 MM Rebecca
1.2 MM K2
m ....Keith J ...devilish!

Thanks, everyone, for erging with us!

Liz 875 m
GMan 1,517 m
Steve W m....deuces all around palindrome!
Dave 3,000 m
Chuck E 5,000 m
Robert E 5,000 m
Kevin Mc 5,018 m
Matthew R 5,019 m
Sharon 5,030 m
Jason H 5,853 m
Cornel 6,000 m
Josh 6,092 m
Tombeur 6,129 m
Rick 6,232 m
Keith J m ...four of a kind palindrome ... to get to that six of a kind yearly total palindrome! Well done!
Emma 7,000 m
Norma m ...a lucky 7 palindrome...AGAIN!
Jeff D 8,092 m
David T 9,000 m
Danno 10,000 m
Rebecca 10,000 m
Howard 11,015 m
K2 12,000 m
Louie 12,321 m ...a count em up and down palindrome!
David A 12,355 m
Greg F 12,805 m
Dennis 13,431 m ...a palindrome!
Patrick S 18,161 m
Ron 18,771 m
Minnie 18,992 m
Ian 20,234 m
Warnie 30,270 m ... he moons us!
Ed m ...he moons us with a palindrome!
Ted 34,000 m ... he moons us..


A field report...bunny trails of the mind....

There are a lot of places within your city or state that you have always wondered about (there's that curiosity factor again!), but didn't take time to check out. Saturday dawned with the promise of snow later in the day, and the wind was brutal. No day to be "out there". Good day to check out one of the local wildlife refuges...because spring will be here eventually. Gotta scout out areas for future explorations!

Whaaaat?

Well this is a bit different type of buddy system than we have here! Still, for those who have worked in confined spaces (such as tanks, pump stations, sewers, silos, etc.) the buddy system is an important safety measure. One person stays outside the space and in constant communication with the individual in the space, ready to call for rescue teams should something be not quite right. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, the Denver area was selected as a region to produce conventional, nuclear and chemical weaponry...primarily because it was equidistant from either coast (and deemed out of range from external threats) and it had a workforce that could support the industries.

The buddy sign photo was taken at Rocky Mountain Arsenal. This is a 20,000 acre area just east of Denver where chemical and conventional weapons were built. Nasty kinds of stuff. Right after Pearl Harbor, the land purchase occurred and defense-related work was soon underway. In the time following the use as a weapons plant area, the land was leased to Shell Oil and others for production of different chemicals, and pesticides. Flash forward to late 1970s and 1980s, and enter the clean up phase where RMA became a Superfund clean up site. This clean up took over 20 years, and in the time between work stoppage and now, the 20K acreage sat largely without a lot of activity. Housing areas built closer and closer to the site, which by then had become home to a lot of different bird species including bald eagles, deer, fox, coyotes and probably a lot of other things. The decision was made in 1992 to make this area a Wildlife Refuge, and as clean up proceeded, different sections of the site were opened. Why not add a few dozen bison to roam the grassland while we're at it? 2010 saw the "official" dedication as a wildlife refuge. Make no mistake - the area continues to be monitored to make sure that nothing untoward seeps into the groundwater from the landfill area (which is covered by three feet of clay). Lots of trails, and a wildlife drive await visitors.

[normadelaney]

Thanks, K2! The Rocky Mountain Arsenal story was interesting.

Congrats, Keith! A 6,666 m palindrome to give you 666,666 m for the season--that's some planning!! Mrs. P. is impressed.

[Kona2]

Hooyah! Indoor erging! So much warmer!

MILESTONES...Bragging Rights...Celebrations:

Distance remaining to lunar landing: 13,845,241 m

3.3 MM Minnie
3.15 MM David A
1.7 MM Danno
1.6 MM Gary
1.3 MM Derric
750 K Truthy
600 K Jonathan
350 K Robert E

Thanks, everyone, for erging with us!

GMan 2,035 m
Patrick S 3,019 m
K2 3,558 m
Kevin Mc 5,000 m
Leon 5,000 m
Patrick S 5,000 m
Rebecca 5,000 m
Jamie E 5,010 m
David T 5,500 m ...a double double!
Tombeur 6,032 m
Ted 7,000 m
William H 7,133 m
Jason H 7,594 m
m ...a lucky 7 palindrome!
Jeff D 8,152 m
Louie m ...a lucky 9 palindrome!
Derric 10,000 m
Robert E 10,000 m
Ed 10,001 m ...a one aught palindrome!
Trevor 10,079 m
Danno 10,205 m
Jonathan 11,269 m
Truthy 12,321 m ...a count em up and down palindrome!
Dennis 13,431 m ...a palindrome!
David A 14,905 m
Ron 17,771 m ...a palindrome with lucky 7's inside!
Minnie 19,662 m
Gary 21,097 m ...he moons us!
Miles 21,244 m ...he moons us, too !

[Edscapade]

Hi team,

Been having issues with resetting the password... finally able to get it done. Not sure if I got hacked but couldn't log in here but could update meters.

On Feb 12 here in Qatar is a national holiday - Sports Day. They want all people here to take the day off and enjoy many activities dealing with health and exercise.

So to get things going with my team and other managers - I invited them to challenge me 1000 meters at a time on the rower. I had 48 take the challenge with a couple at the end willing to go again to make it 50. It was fun and challenging at the same time as I don't normally row for speed I am more for the distance in 2.5 hours.

Well I was tired by the end - but it was a good tired. I only lost one challenge but it was close. Everyone that attended enjoyed the day and I think a few will end up rowing more often.

Happy rowing,
Ed

[danwho]

I invited them to challenge me 1000 meters at a time on the rower.

What a great idea. Was it just the one rower, and they went first? Trying to figure out how you would know what time to try to beat.

[Edscapade]

I invited them to challenge me 1000 meters at a time on the rower.

What a great idea. Was it just the one rower, and they went first? Trying to figure out how you would know what time to try to beat.

No we had two rowers, I brought mine plus the one at the gym.

[Kona2]

Ed - simply amazing! What a great effort!