i was going through some old blog posts for fun, and i found this:
from 25 august 2005
states i've YET to visit (13):alabama / alaska / arkansas / hawaii / kansas / louisiana / michigan / mississippi / missouri / new mexico / oklahoma / tennessee / washington
i realize i can remove some of those! here's the current new list of states i've still not visited:
alabama / arkansas / kansas / louisiana /michigan / mississippi / missouri / new mexico / oklahoma
only 9! pretty cool! although i have no reason to ever go to the deep south, i wouldn't mind going to missouri to visit my friends kurt and maria in st louis, new mexico to visit rosie and danny...and oklahoma and michigan can't be that bad...i just haven't found a reason to go there yet.
------------------
related to travel, but more related to rugby...
i went to last vegas a few weekends ago to visit with my old rugby team, the minneapolis menagerie. we went for the las vegas invitational, which - since it is february - would be a pre-pre season game for the ladies on the team. i was going as a sub, and was happy that i got a little bit of playing time and no major injuries. i was also happy that i wasn't incredibly sore the next day (thanks triathlon training!) though, i didn't play wing like i usually end up doing, so i didn't have to do a ton of sprinting or open field tackling, which i think have been the major culprits of my soreness in the past.
but i digress. what bothered me about this trip, versus all other tours i've gone on with them, is that i felt really isolated from the team on the whole. and was surprised to find out that the whole team was sitting together on saturday while i was off with a splinter group, oblivious to the fact that everyone else was sitting together. and that made me feel really sad, that i lost a whole day with those people i would have preferred to sit with. and all because no one communicated with me about who was going where or anything like that. true, i did get to the pitch late and on my own because i'd stayed out late the night before and realized i needed to do some packing for my flight the next day. but i felt like no one reached out to me, no one took the initiative to call me or try to figure out what i was doing. just felt really isolated and alone. and that's no good. for future reference, i will have more people's phone numbers and hopefully others will try to seek me out to do things with them as well. otherwise, what's the point?
also, what's the deal with going to vegas in february and it's 50 degrees, windy, and cold? where's my fun in the sun?!
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
25 February 2013
22 November 2012
observations on life (not triathlon related)
what's that you say? you don't remember me ever blogging about anything other than my workouts? i mean, it has been YEARS since the last time i blogged about something other than working out. i might have forgotten how to do it. but i'll try.
i have been carrying my notebook around with me (mostly for writing down workouts, but i digress) and noticing some things that happen. or thoughts. or musings. here are some things i thought about that i wanted to write down.
NO SMOKING ON CAMPUS
so, OSU has a no smoking campus. they told us for the last year that this year they would implement a smoke free campus. and i would say for the most part, people are pretty good about it. but then it always catches me off guard when i see someone on campus, casually smoking on the corner outside a building or walking past my building with a cigarette in their hand. and i really, really want to say, "excuse me, did you know that campus is smoke free now?" but i have never been into confrontation and wouldn't know what to say if they came back at me with, "shut the f**k up" or "mind your own business" or whatever. or maybe i'm a little afraid they would throw the lit cigarette at me, or maybe they would want to fight. i don't know what i'm really afraid of, but clearly i am afraid since i have now seen 3 people smoking on campus and have never said a word, other than to myself under my breath as i bike swiftly away.
PAY ATTENTION!
i am growing increasingly annoyed with people's shortening attention spans. or maybe, their complete immersion in themselves and their personal electronic devices, so much so that they can't even look up when they cross the street, or walk into a crosswalk where there is clearly crossing traffic. or even when they're just on the sidewalk, swerving and weaving around. as a pedestrian and a cyclist, i find this very difficult to deal with. there's a certain amount of attention that has to occur for people to all safely exist in this world. i can do so much defensive walking/driving, but if you're not even trying, that almost feels like it's your fault. would it be wrong of me to prove a point by crashing into people who aren't paying attention?
this topic also reminds me of people in cars not seeing people on bikes. i was clearly in the bike lane on a clearly not raining day, and this person in their car almost didn't stop at their stop sign (i did not have a stop sign) and creeped uncomfortably into the road where i was biking, causing me to swerve. i guess they looked up at the last second to see me, but there was no way i could have safely stopped if they had pulled out.
when did checking your phone every minute become so important? are you really getting such important messages from afar that you MUST know what those messages are THIS INSTANT? how has the human race survived for so long without this? i wonder if tech-involved people ever ask themselves this question.
ADJUST YOUR SPEED
related to the electronic device conversation, i feel irritated by people who do not even attempt to make things easier for anyone but themselves. and what i mean here is when people cross the street and they are looking, they can see that a car or bike is coming along at a certain speed from a certain distance and they can attempt to adjust their speed of crossing so that everyone gets where they are going and no one has to slam on their brakes. if a car or bike is far away and not traveling very fast, they you have ample time to saunter across the street. but if they are coming fast and they are close, it's not as ideal to just step casually in front of them, since you are putting everyone in danger by doing that. and if you aren't paying attention to the speed / distance of others at all, you are REALLY making things scary. my time is just as valuable as yours.
DON'T CROWD MY LANE
this is another bike related observation. there are times when i'm biking along and i clearly have a bike lane marked on the road, and yet cars insist on stopping at a stop sign IN the bike lane, as if beginning to make their turn is the most important thing. they just went past me in their car, did they not see me there? where would they like me to go if they are sitting in my lane? again, it comes down to they think their time is more important than mine, and they are clearly in a bigger hurry than i am. this was especially irritating when i lived on witham hill. and then someone had the gall to call the cops and have cyclists pulled over for not coming to a complete stop at the bottom of that crazy hill. maybe they'd be more considerate if they realized that bikes don't even upset the flow of traffic if they come down the hill in their lane and turn right. start ticketing the people who crowd the bike lane! SHARE THE ROAD! sheesh.
WHAT'S WITH THE WEATHER?
we have been having some serious storms lately, where the rain just comes down in buckets. it is really not that much fun biking in this weather but maybe this is the weather gods saying, "hey get used to it!" however, the pouring heavy drops of rain make it very uncomfortable to bike / walk around without getting all duded up in raingear all the time, which i don't mind at all except that it takes extra time to go anywhere, due to all the getting dressed/undressed. and then when you get where you're going, you have all this wet clothing and what do you do with it? anyway, i have gotten used to the sort of drizzly rain of oregon, but these heavy storms are really not that much fun. aside from the splashing in them while wearing big ol' boots.
...to be continued...
i have been carrying my notebook around with me (mostly for writing down workouts, but i digress) and noticing some things that happen. or thoughts. or musings. here are some things i thought about that i wanted to write down.
NO SMOKING ON CAMPUS
so, OSU has a no smoking campus. they told us for the last year that this year they would implement a smoke free campus. and i would say for the most part, people are pretty good about it. but then it always catches me off guard when i see someone on campus, casually smoking on the corner outside a building or walking past my building with a cigarette in their hand. and i really, really want to say, "excuse me, did you know that campus is smoke free now?" but i have never been into confrontation and wouldn't know what to say if they came back at me with, "shut the f**k up" or "mind your own business" or whatever. or maybe i'm a little afraid they would throw the lit cigarette at me, or maybe they would want to fight. i don't know what i'm really afraid of, but clearly i am afraid since i have now seen 3 people smoking on campus and have never said a word, other than to myself under my breath as i bike swiftly away.
PAY ATTENTION!
i am growing increasingly annoyed with people's shortening attention spans. or maybe, their complete immersion in themselves and their personal electronic devices, so much so that they can't even look up when they cross the street, or walk into a crosswalk where there is clearly crossing traffic. or even when they're just on the sidewalk, swerving and weaving around. as a pedestrian and a cyclist, i find this very difficult to deal with. there's a certain amount of attention that has to occur for people to all safely exist in this world. i can do so much defensive walking/driving, but if you're not even trying, that almost feels like it's your fault. would it be wrong of me to prove a point by crashing into people who aren't paying attention?
this topic also reminds me of people in cars not seeing people on bikes. i was clearly in the bike lane on a clearly not raining day, and this person in their car almost didn't stop at their stop sign (i did not have a stop sign) and creeped uncomfortably into the road where i was biking, causing me to swerve. i guess they looked up at the last second to see me, but there was no way i could have safely stopped if they had pulled out.
when did checking your phone every minute become so important? are you really getting such important messages from afar that you MUST know what those messages are THIS INSTANT? how has the human race survived for so long without this? i wonder if tech-involved people ever ask themselves this question.
ADJUST YOUR SPEED
related to the electronic device conversation, i feel irritated by people who do not even attempt to make things easier for anyone but themselves. and what i mean here is when people cross the street and they are looking, they can see that a car or bike is coming along at a certain speed from a certain distance and they can attempt to adjust their speed of crossing so that everyone gets where they are going and no one has to slam on their brakes. if a car or bike is far away and not traveling very fast, they you have ample time to saunter across the street. but if they are coming fast and they are close, it's not as ideal to just step casually in front of them, since you are putting everyone in danger by doing that. and if you aren't paying attention to the speed / distance of others at all, you are REALLY making things scary. my time is just as valuable as yours.
DON'T CROWD MY LANE
this is another bike related observation. there are times when i'm biking along and i clearly have a bike lane marked on the road, and yet cars insist on stopping at a stop sign IN the bike lane, as if beginning to make their turn is the most important thing. they just went past me in their car, did they not see me there? where would they like me to go if they are sitting in my lane? again, it comes down to they think their time is more important than mine, and they are clearly in a bigger hurry than i am. this was especially irritating when i lived on witham hill. and then someone had the gall to call the cops and have cyclists pulled over for not coming to a complete stop at the bottom of that crazy hill. maybe they'd be more considerate if they realized that bikes don't even upset the flow of traffic if they come down the hill in their lane and turn right. start ticketing the people who crowd the bike lane! SHARE THE ROAD! sheesh.
WHAT'S WITH THE WEATHER?
we have been having some serious storms lately, where the rain just comes down in buckets. it is really not that much fun biking in this weather but maybe this is the weather gods saying, "hey get used to it!" however, the pouring heavy drops of rain make it very uncomfortable to bike / walk around without getting all duded up in raingear all the time, which i don't mind at all except that it takes extra time to go anywhere, due to all the getting dressed/undressed. and then when you get where you're going, you have all this wet clothing and what do you do with it? anyway, i have gotten used to the sort of drizzly rain of oregon, but these heavy storms are really not that much fun. aside from the splashing in them while wearing big ol' boots.
...to be continued...
05 January 2010
long day ahead
other titles for this post could have included:
devotion
is routine so bad?
night biking
new year's resolve
3 x 3 = what a way to end 2009!
---
i'm tired. it's only 840am and i can feel myself unable to overcome the day's sleep deprivation already. this week i'm back to my crazy experiment that needs near-constant supervision, as to not catch fire or stop working. so, yesterday i got a late start after chasing around some equipment that is now considered "stolen" (i didn't get my hands on it). the experiment got running around 3pm. i ran it until 12am. 9 hours is not bad for one day. except i needed to run it for about 12 hours yesterday. so now, in my quest to run the experiment for 30 hours over 2 days...well let's just say it's not happening.
i got the thing going this morning at 7am. if i stay till midnight again, that's 17 hours today, plus 9 yesterday = 26 hours. which means wedesday i run it for 4 hours, before cooling things and switching to the second phase of the experiment which again, needs to run for 30 hours over the next 2 days. if i get in by 9 on wednesday, run the thing until 1pm, cool for an hour, switch the solutions, get it going again by 230, and run it until 1230am, that still leaves me with 20 hours to run it over thur and fri. plus, after that's all done, there's something like a 4 hour hot water boiling period to wash out the remaining solution residues.
needless to say, work is my life for the next few weeks (i get to do it all over again next week!) this would all be a lot easier if i had help. as in, someone to watch the solutions after i put in 10-12 hours in a given day. if someone else could come in late and stick around until late, well that would be OK with me. *yawn*
i already had my oatmeal and tea this morning. and yet i'm not feeling peppy and revived. went to bed around 130am and first woke up at 530 this morning and decided, you know what, it's just too freakin' early. actually got up at 620 and got to work by 7, which for me is quite a feat. i prefer, and function more highly, on more than 4-5 hours of sleep a night.
i can't complain too much, because over the weekend i did manage to get plenty of sleep. it's unfortunate that sleep isn't more like a bank account, where you can save it up and use it when you're more tired.
so now i'm thinking about power napping. but there's no place to do so in the building where i work. and it's a 20 minute uphill ride home which has no appeal to me, since i'd have to come back down after such a short nap at home. and it's raining outside. which isn't exactly bad, but it's not ideal for biking home and back, just for a short nap.
speaking of rain. when i woke up this morning i thought it sounded like it might be raining out. but it was dark and my window is protected by an overhang, so there wasn't any droplets on the window pane. however, once in the living room i could hear the rain running down the gutter, and thought, "oh geez. it's really raining out there!" so i geared up in my full raingear attire, packed my gym shoes and some other essentials into backpack #2 (left my regular backpack at work last night, too tired to pack it up and for what?), and headed outside to brave the elements. it was still pitch black, same as when i got home from work last night. i thought to myself, "this really bites. going to work in the pitch black, coming home in the pitch black." but it's a job and i guess i have that going for me.
anyway, once geared up with helmet and lights and such, i walked my bike to the top of my driveway (enough of a hill that i never want to deal with it), and realized that, it wasn't really raining that hard. it was sprinkling at best. a little harder than misting. so maybe this biking in the rain wasn't so bad. i wasn't going to get soaked before i got to work; all my stuff was in plastic bags in my backpack so it was safe. i was basically weatherproofed, and all i had to do was pedal a short distance and coast down the big hill to work.
maybe winter isn't so bad after all. but i'm still very tired.
more later...perhaps i'll use up those other prospective blog titles!
devotion
is routine so bad?
night biking
new year's resolve
3 x 3 = what a way to end 2009!
---
i'm tired. it's only 840am and i can feel myself unable to overcome the day's sleep deprivation already. this week i'm back to my crazy experiment that needs near-constant supervision, as to not catch fire or stop working. so, yesterday i got a late start after chasing around some equipment that is now considered "stolen" (i didn't get my hands on it). the experiment got running around 3pm. i ran it until 12am. 9 hours is not bad for one day. except i needed to run it for about 12 hours yesterday. so now, in my quest to run the experiment for 30 hours over 2 days...well let's just say it's not happening.
i got the thing going this morning at 7am. if i stay till midnight again, that's 17 hours today, plus 9 yesterday = 26 hours. which means wedesday i run it for 4 hours, before cooling things and switching to the second phase of the experiment which again, needs to run for 30 hours over the next 2 days. if i get in by 9 on wednesday, run the thing until 1pm, cool for an hour, switch the solutions, get it going again by 230, and run it until 1230am, that still leaves me with 20 hours to run it over thur and fri. plus, after that's all done, there's something like a 4 hour hot water boiling period to wash out the remaining solution residues.
needless to say, work is my life for the next few weeks (i get to do it all over again next week!) this would all be a lot easier if i had help. as in, someone to watch the solutions after i put in 10-12 hours in a given day. if someone else could come in late and stick around until late, well that would be OK with me. *yawn*
i already had my oatmeal and tea this morning. and yet i'm not feeling peppy and revived. went to bed around 130am and first woke up at 530 this morning and decided, you know what, it's just too freakin' early. actually got up at 620 and got to work by 7, which for me is quite a feat. i prefer, and function more highly, on more than 4-5 hours of sleep a night.
i can't complain too much, because over the weekend i did manage to get plenty of sleep. it's unfortunate that sleep isn't more like a bank account, where you can save it up and use it when you're more tired.
so now i'm thinking about power napping. but there's no place to do so in the building where i work. and it's a 20 minute uphill ride home which has no appeal to me, since i'd have to come back down after such a short nap at home. and it's raining outside. which isn't exactly bad, but it's not ideal for biking home and back, just for a short nap.
speaking of rain. when i woke up this morning i thought it sounded like it might be raining out. but it was dark and my window is protected by an overhang, so there wasn't any droplets on the window pane. however, once in the living room i could hear the rain running down the gutter, and thought, "oh geez. it's really raining out there!" so i geared up in my full raingear attire, packed my gym shoes and some other essentials into backpack #2 (left my regular backpack at work last night, too tired to pack it up and for what?), and headed outside to brave the elements. it was still pitch black, same as when i got home from work last night. i thought to myself, "this really bites. going to work in the pitch black, coming home in the pitch black." but it's a job and i guess i have that going for me.
anyway, once geared up with helmet and lights and such, i walked my bike to the top of my driveway (enough of a hill that i never want to deal with it), and realized that, it wasn't really raining that hard. it was sprinkling at best. a little harder than misting. so maybe this biking in the rain wasn't so bad. i wasn't going to get soaked before i got to work; all my stuff was in plastic bags in my backpack so it was safe. i was basically weatherproofed, and all i had to do was pedal a short distance and coast down the big hill to work.
maybe winter isn't so bad after all. but i'm still very tired.
more later...perhaps i'll use up those other prospective blog titles!
08 December 2009
i peel the bark
at work today:
lady: "you peel the bark off those sticks? that's hard work!"
at least someone appreciates my hours of intense work ethic and steady hands!
work smells like christmas! peeling the bark off western white pine today, the air is filled with the aroma of the holidays. ahh. life is good!
thoughts from previous days:
uphill climb home
if work was uphill i might never go
cold air hitting my face...brr...gets under the glasses, makes my eyes water! it's been in the teens out there the past few days. it is not comfortable in any way to bike downhill in such conditions. of course, it's not much fun biking at all in those conditions. uphill is not much better, but i am warm by the time i get home...
which is good because our house is essentially unheated. we've been having some wet wood issues and as such, haven't been able to get a good fire started, and, as such, have a freaking cold house because we want to be cheap and not turn on the heat when we're not there. one day this week it was 43 degrees, INSIDE the house. some people have gasped when i told them we kept the house in the 50's, but this was almost unbelieveable, even to me!
working for the weekend...i go to work, but i think constantly about the weekend when i'm not working!
overdrafting - first time in 15 years or so...ugh! have to pay closer attention. fees are killer! this was the biggest slap in the face i've had since i don't know when. i almost cried. now i'm afraid to spend money. maybe it's a good thing. but not for the economy.
--------------------
gym report:
20 min precor
3x10 @ 30lb military press
3x10 @ 50lb upright row
3x10 @ 30lb overhead press
3x10 @ 50lb lat pull down
3x8 @ 45lb bench press
3x10 @ 30lb bicep curl (machine)
3x10 @ 10lb tricep raise
3x10 upright abs
3x10 incline situps
10 min abs and stretching
weight: 162.4
stomper: went WAY too late to even think to look for her
notes: the pool and gym are nearly empty late at night.
lady: "you peel the bark off those sticks? that's hard work!"
at least someone appreciates my hours of intense work ethic and steady hands!
work smells like christmas! peeling the bark off western white pine today, the air is filled with the aroma of the holidays. ahh. life is good!
thoughts from previous days:
uphill climb home
if work was uphill i might never go
cold air hitting my face...brr...gets under the glasses, makes my eyes water! it's been in the teens out there the past few days. it is not comfortable in any way to bike downhill in such conditions. of course, it's not much fun biking at all in those conditions. uphill is not much better, but i am warm by the time i get home...
which is good because our house is essentially unheated. we've been having some wet wood issues and as such, haven't been able to get a good fire started, and, as such, have a freaking cold house because we want to be cheap and not turn on the heat when we're not there. one day this week it was 43 degrees, INSIDE the house. some people have gasped when i told them we kept the house in the 50's, but this was almost unbelieveable, even to me!
working for the weekend...i go to work, but i think constantly about the weekend when i'm not working!
overdrafting - first time in 15 years or so...ugh! have to pay closer attention. fees are killer! this was the biggest slap in the face i've had since i don't know when. i almost cried. now i'm afraid to spend money. maybe it's a good thing. but not for the economy.
--------------------
gym report:
20 min precor
3x10 @ 30lb military press
3x10 @ 50lb upright row
3x10 @ 30lb overhead press
3x10 @ 50lb lat pull down
3x8 @ 45lb bench press
3x10 @ 30lb bicep curl (machine)
3x10 @ 10lb tricep raise
3x10 upright abs
3x10 incline situps
10 min abs and stretching
weight: 162.4
stomper: went WAY too late to even think to look for her
notes: the pool and gym are nearly empty late at night.
16 November 2009
a mix of meet ups
what a great weekend. i'm feeling spirited and alive! and very happy. and somewhat relaxed and not stressed about things.
saturday we met up with cindy, a fellow dancer from washington. we had a great brunch at a local bakery. drank tea and ate croissants, crumb cake, flatbread...delicious!
sunday we met up with heather, who i used to work with in CA. last year she moved to portland, so it was cool to reconnect with her. next time i will try the veggie burger!
today the weather was just perfect. it has been cool, but with my natural new england layers on, it feels just perfect. like fall is supposed to feel. the getting dark early leaves something to be desired. but that too will pass...if only the people with leaf blowers would leave me some leaves to kick around!
danced on thursday night in eugene, friday and saturday nights in portland. sunday was a true day of rest, and more dancing tonight in corvallis and tomorrow night in portland again. i love twirling, eye contact, and especially large doses of smiling. and the hugs! don't forget the hugs.
--------------------
gym report:
got to the gym a little later today than in past days.
10 min elliptical (my knee was bugging me)
3x10 @ 30 military press
3x10 @ 70lb upright row
3x10 @ 30lb overhead press
3x10 @ 50lb lat pull down
3x10 @ 25lb bicep curl
3x10 @ 10lb tricep raise
10 min abs / stretching
weight: 160.6
stomper: not in attendance today! (like i said, we were a little late)
saturday we met up with cindy, a fellow dancer from washington. we had a great brunch at a local bakery. drank tea and ate croissants, crumb cake, flatbread...delicious!
sunday we met up with heather, who i used to work with in CA. last year she moved to portland, so it was cool to reconnect with her. next time i will try the veggie burger!
today the weather was just perfect. it has been cool, but with my natural new england layers on, it feels just perfect. like fall is supposed to feel. the getting dark early leaves something to be desired. but that too will pass...if only the people with leaf blowers would leave me some leaves to kick around!
danced on thursday night in eugene, friday and saturday nights in portland. sunday was a true day of rest, and more dancing tonight in corvallis and tomorrow night in portland again. i love twirling, eye contact, and especially large doses of smiling. and the hugs! don't forget the hugs.
--------------------
gym report:
got to the gym a little later today than in past days.
10 min elliptical (my knee was bugging me)
3x10 @ 30 military press
3x10 @ 70lb upright row
3x10 @ 30lb overhead press
3x10 @ 50lb lat pull down
3x10 @ 25lb bicep curl
3x10 @ 10lb tricep raise
10 min abs / stretching
weight: 160.6
stomper: not in attendance today! (like i said, we were a little late)
31 July 2009
in the nick of time
in trying to get at least one post per month, here's july.
it's been hot. really, really, REALLY hot here in oregon. the last week corvallis hit 100 at least 3 or 4 days in a row. and the house just didn't cool down a few nights, even with fan in window. when the heat finally broke and it was 85-90 degrees, it felt like heaven.
i have been working out. it feels good to do so. cardio kick is an OK class, strength training is enjoyable, cycle fit is easy on my knees but a sweaty workout, but step strength REALLY makes me sweat. when the kneecaps start sweating, you know you're working hard. all of the classes except the cycle class really work the core muscles too. so tuesdays and thursdays i've been getting 2x core workout. it's too bad the classes only go for 2 more weeks and i'll only be around one more week. i was just getting into it. now i guess i'll have to try to motivate myself. not as easy. maybe i can get someone to come to the gym with me? then again, maybe not.
am reading a few books lately:
on cd - snow falling on cedars by david guterson
there's a lot of detail and the author goes on and on and is outlining everyone who ever lived in the town's lives. i'm only on disc 3 and there's 10 i think. not sure if i will continue. but it's ok listening in the car on road trips.
in hardcover - robert fulghum's maybe, maybe not. i like the style because it's short stories. i like the fact that nothing is for certain. that we have struggles and have to deal with them and that we never know if we're doing it right or not. we just have to keep trying and working it out. and sometimes the right thing happens, and sometimes it doesn't.
in paperback - the relationship cure by john gottman
learning a little more about communicative styles and my own emotional heritage. turns out the issue i struggle with the most is love, both showing it and receiving it. who knew?
also in paperback - a walk in the woods by bill bryson
haven't started reading this one yet but it's on the horizon in my 'free' time to read out loud.
it's been hot. really, really, REALLY hot here in oregon. the last week corvallis hit 100 at least 3 or 4 days in a row. and the house just didn't cool down a few nights, even with fan in window. when the heat finally broke and it was 85-90 degrees, it felt like heaven.
i have been working out. it feels good to do so. cardio kick is an OK class, strength training is enjoyable, cycle fit is easy on my knees but a sweaty workout, but step strength REALLY makes me sweat. when the kneecaps start sweating, you know you're working hard. all of the classes except the cycle class really work the core muscles too. so tuesdays and thursdays i've been getting 2x core workout. it's too bad the classes only go for 2 more weeks and i'll only be around one more week. i was just getting into it. now i guess i'll have to try to motivate myself. not as easy. maybe i can get someone to come to the gym with me? then again, maybe not.
am reading a few books lately:
on cd - snow falling on cedars by david guterson
there's a lot of detail and the author goes on and on and is outlining everyone who ever lived in the town's lives. i'm only on disc 3 and there's 10 i think. not sure if i will continue. but it's ok listening in the car on road trips.
in hardcover - robert fulghum's maybe, maybe not. i like the style because it's short stories. i like the fact that nothing is for certain. that we have struggles and have to deal with them and that we never know if we're doing it right or not. we just have to keep trying and working it out. and sometimes the right thing happens, and sometimes it doesn't.
in paperback - the relationship cure by john gottman
learning a little more about communicative styles and my own emotional heritage. turns out the issue i struggle with the most is love, both showing it and receiving it. who knew?
also in paperback - a walk in the woods by bill bryson
haven't started reading this one yet but it's on the horizon in my 'free' time to read out loud.
18 December 2008
happy holidays
there's much to catch up on.
a nearly waste free thanksgiving - we had 14 people for thanksgiving dinner, and requested that people bring their own plastic containers to take home leftovers. we had a few leftovers ourselves, but the best part was that we filled *maybe* 1/4 of a brown shopping bag with garbage. i was SO pleased! stay green, oregon!
new job - i started my new job in wood science and engineering. i spent the first several days finding obscure glassware and other lab supplies in a huge lab with mislabeled drawers, and the next several days grinding up wood samples with a dremel tool. first lesson learned: it's a good idea to wear dust colored clothing when you're going to be doing a dusty job.
first snow - it snowed for real here over this past weekend. and it's snowing again at this very moment. snow is so pretty. i love it. but the city i live in has no clue how to handle it. so they did nothing. result: very icy roads the past few days!
holidays - well i have my holiday letter written, but not edited for grammar or space for a photo. and now it will have to wait till i get back to CT to see my family, though they have a super speedy printer and maybe i can even do a color photo! we'll see. in the meanwhile i'm working on labels and such.
party party party! - i've learned you just can't party enough, especially around the holidays when all your friends are heading out to be with their families. last week i think i went to parties 6 nights in a row! saw miracle on 34th street which a very sweet play, and have been hanging with friends and taking it easy...
another first - where i'm usually known for being the drink lady at the soup kitchen, this week they needed help on the front line. so i became a salad server! it was crazy! actually it was not that difficult. i was able to still help out the kid working the drink table, and serve up salad fast enough that no one went without. we ended up with tons of leftover hot dogs and spanish rice. most people couldn't make it because of the weather.
that's about it for now, a very brief update. happy holidays! stay warm people!
a nearly waste free thanksgiving - we had 14 people for thanksgiving dinner, and requested that people bring their own plastic containers to take home leftovers. we had a few leftovers ourselves, but the best part was that we filled *maybe* 1/4 of a brown shopping bag with garbage. i was SO pleased! stay green, oregon!
new job - i started my new job in wood science and engineering. i spent the first several days finding obscure glassware and other lab supplies in a huge lab with mislabeled drawers, and the next several days grinding up wood samples with a dremel tool. first lesson learned: it's a good idea to wear dust colored clothing when you're going to be doing a dusty job.
first snow - it snowed for real here over this past weekend. and it's snowing again at this very moment. snow is so pretty. i love it. but the city i live in has no clue how to handle it. so they did nothing. result: very icy roads the past few days!
holidays - well i have my holiday letter written, but not edited for grammar or space for a photo. and now it will have to wait till i get back to CT to see my family, though they have a super speedy printer and maybe i can even do a color photo! we'll see. in the meanwhile i'm working on labels and such.
party party party! - i've learned you just can't party enough, especially around the holidays when all your friends are heading out to be with their families. last week i think i went to parties 6 nights in a row! saw miracle on 34th street which a very sweet play, and have been hanging with friends and taking it easy...
another first - where i'm usually known for being the drink lady at the soup kitchen, this week they needed help on the front line. so i became a salad server! it was crazy! actually it was not that difficult. i was able to still help out the kid working the drink table, and serve up salad fast enough that no one went without. we ended up with tons of leftover hot dogs and spanish rice. most people couldn't make it because of the weather.
that's about it for now, a very brief update. happy holidays! stay warm people!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
