Saturday, January 29, 2005
a very long day
this morning i woke up insanely early, so i could get my 10 mile run in before the retreat started (9:00am). I had figured it would take about 2 hours, so 6am was the time i set my alarm clock for. Well, that's mistake number one...I didn't get out the door until 6:30---scarfing down a PowerBar, getting all the cold-weather running gear together, stretching, etc took a lot longer than expected. Well, whatever..I still have time, right? hah.
Well, it was like 12 degrees outside, but the wind was calm. Hence, i said i might as well try running around the river, like i usually do. Well, that was mistake number two. I first ran along Memorial drive, and cross the Longfellow bridge. Of course it was still covered in snow, so i basically had to walk (or plow) my way through it. And once i had crossed over into Boston, i could run again, but then my hands started to feel like they were freezing. Frustrating...since that was a little after mile two. So I decided to take the shortest path home, which was crossing the next bridge (Harvard). Well, at that point my hands were like completely frozen, and on top of that the side that i was running on was covered in snow, so again i had to walk. Plus, it was a lot windier there, and my face started to feel like i was getting stabbed with little needles. Eek!
Anyway, by the time i had ran back to SP, i had only run 4.3 miles and felt like a block of ice (i had been outside for about a full hour). Time was running out, and i didn't want to give up, so i decided to finish what I could on the SP treadmill. After about a mile though, i got extremely bored (as i almost always do on treadmills), and pondered the idea of going back outside again (by this time my hands had thawed out). I was feeling a bit tired & weak though, so I downed some raspberry gel (basically sugar+ flavoring) and headed back outside. I stopped by my apartment though, to grab those small hand-warmers that I had bought at EMS (you just open up the sealed package and expose them to air, and they become like mini-heating pads for a few hours). I figured I could use them to prevent my hands from freezing on the rest of the run.
So this time I didnt run by the river, and just ran around SP and MIT (Albany, Landsdowne, Mass Ave, etc). Actually I did run along Memorial Drive (and back) but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as actually crossing the river. I did use the heating pad in my right hand, and it was a godsend. My mp3 player was also a godsend..i ended up listening to Celia Cruz for the last few miles or so. I basically ran and ran until the Garmin said I had run 10 miles. By that time it was about 5 to 9am, but whatever. I went inside and stretched, drank some water, ate some crackers and attempted to take a shower in 5 minutes (it ended up being more like 10). After getting dressed, throwing my stuff together and grabbing an apple from the fridge and an ice pack from the freezer, I ran out the door. Since it was Saturday, the shuttles weren't running so I had to walk to E38..so by the time I got there I was more than fashionably late (try 9:40). Oh well..by that time I had already had an adventurous day, and it was great. :)
Well, it was like 12 degrees outside, but the wind was calm. Hence, i said i might as well try running around the river, like i usually do. Well, that was mistake number two. I first ran along Memorial drive, and cross the Longfellow bridge. Of course it was still covered in snow, so i basically had to walk (or plow) my way through it. And once i had crossed over into Boston, i could run again, but then my hands started to feel like they were freezing. Frustrating...since that was a little after mile two. So I decided to take the shortest path home, which was crossing the next bridge (Harvard). Well, at that point my hands were like completely frozen, and on top of that the side that i was running on was covered in snow, so again i had to walk. Plus, it was a lot windier there, and my face started to feel like i was getting stabbed with little needles. Eek!
Anyway, by the time i had ran back to SP, i had only run 4.3 miles and felt like a block of ice (i had been outside for about a full hour). Time was running out, and i didn't want to give up, so i decided to finish what I could on the SP treadmill. After about a mile though, i got extremely bored (as i almost always do on treadmills), and pondered the idea of going back outside again (by this time my hands had thawed out). I was feeling a bit tired & weak though, so I downed some raspberry gel (basically sugar+ flavoring) and headed back outside. I stopped by my apartment though, to grab those small hand-warmers that I had bought at EMS (you just open up the sealed package and expose them to air, and they become like mini-heating pads for a few hours). I figured I could use them to prevent my hands from freezing on the rest of the run.
So this time I didnt run by the river, and just ran around SP and MIT (Albany, Landsdowne, Mass Ave, etc). Actually I did run along Memorial Drive (and back) but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as actually crossing the river. I did use the heating pad in my right hand, and it was a godsend. My mp3 player was also a godsend..i ended up listening to Celia Cruz for the last few miles or so. I basically ran and ran until the Garmin said I had run 10 miles. By that time it was about 5 to 9am, but whatever. I went inside and stretched, drank some water, ate some crackers and attempted to take a shower in 5 minutes (it ended up being more like 10). After getting dressed, throwing my stuff together and grabbing an apple from the fridge and an ice pack from the freezer, I ran out the door. Since it was Saturday, the shuttles weren't running so I had to walk to E38..so by the time I got there I was more than fashionably late (try 9:40). Oh well..by that time I had already had an adventurous day, and it was great. :)
Friday, January 28, 2005
i love japanese food
part of me was glad that we couldn't go to Thompson Island today...after all, that meant not having to worry about packing (good since i had just come back from another retreat). Also, it meant getting to go out to fancy restaurants instead. :)
So we ended up having the retreat in the E38 conference room (same place where the Japan lunch table is held on Wednesdays). It started at 3pm, where we first listened to a former MIT intern talk about his trip and his studies on anime in Japan. Soon after, we all left to go Fugakyu, a Japanese restaurant in Brookline (apparently it's the best/fanciest Japanese restaurant in the Boston area...it got a "$$$" and a 9.1 rating on the boston citysearch restaurant guide).
Anyway, the food there was simply *amazing*. The first round of food consisted of miso soup, with a few plates of various things (beef rolled up with asparagus, baked eggplant covered with this really sweet & delicious sauce, tofu with some shaved stuff on it). The eggplant was extremely delicious..i was totally shocked since i usually dislike eggplant! The thing is, it was prepared a lot differently than "normal" (usually it's breaded and fried, or covered with some vegetables..but this was just baked, made into more of a dessert).
The second round of food consisted of sushi boats (don't they look great), which had a variety of different kinds of sushi (i liked the ones with eel & the mayo sauce, but also the non-fishi ones with sweet potato). I didn't get to try all the different kinds..i wanted to, but i was getting quickly getting full. :)
And of course, after that they brought out the third round of food, which was plates of tempura (!). Even though i was already full, i had to try some (and I wasn't sorry in the least..it was really tasty). I liked the sweet potato ones, and the calamari rings that were also covered with toasted almonds as well. Yummy! :)
And then after *that*, even though my stomach was at like 150% capacity, there was (of course) still room for the dessert (green tea tempura ice cream, covered in this sweet brown sauce). Dude, it was the most delicious dessert i've had in a while..a lot different from anything else i've had. it was soooo good...i probably finished it in less than a minute. I'm glad i don't have the recipe..i'd end up eating it everyday. :)
After that, we all took the T back to the conference room, where we watched a Japanese movie ("Twilight Samurai"). Then I ended up walking back home, to watch some mindless TV and then get a few hours asleep, before my scheduled run of 10 miles tomorrow (eek!).
So we ended up having the retreat in the E38 conference room (same place where the Japan lunch table is held on Wednesdays). It started at 3pm, where we first listened to a former MIT intern talk about his trip and his studies on anime in Japan. Soon after, we all left to go Fugakyu, a Japanese restaurant in Brookline (apparently it's the best/fanciest Japanese restaurant in the Boston area...it got a "$$$" and a 9.1 rating on the boston citysearch restaurant guide).
Anyway, the food there was simply *amazing*. The first round of food consisted of miso soup, with a few plates of various things (beef rolled up with asparagus, baked eggplant covered with this really sweet & delicious sauce, tofu with some shaved stuff on it). The eggplant was extremely delicious..i was totally shocked since i usually dislike eggplant! The thing is, it was prepared a lot differently than "normal" (usually it's breaded and fried, or covered with some vegetables..but this was just baked, made into more of a dessert).
The second round of food consisted of sushi boats (don't they look great), which had a variety of different kinds of sushi (i liked the ones with eel & the mayo sauce, but also the non-fishi ones with sweet potato). I didn't get to try all the different kinds..i wanted to, but i was getting quickly getting full. :)
And of course, after that they brought out the third round of food, which was plates of tempura (!). Even though i was already full, i had to try some (and I wasn't sorry in the least..it was really tasty). I liked the sweet potato ones, and the calamari rings that were also covered with toasted almonds as well. Yummy! :)
And then after *that*, even though my stomach was at like 150% capacity, there was (of course) still room for the dessert (green tea tempura ice cream, covered in this sweet brown sauce). Dude, it was the most delicious dessert i've had in a while..a lot different from anything else i've had. it was soooo good...i probably finished it in less than a minute. I'm glad i don't have the recipe..i'd end up eating it everyday. :)
After that, we all took the T back to the conference room, where we watched a Japanese movie ("Twilight Samurai"). Then I ended up walking back home, to watch some mindless TV and then get a few hours asleep, before my scheduled run of 10 miles tomorrow (eek!).
a pipe bursts in Quincy, and so....
...i'm not going to Thompson Island today. Yep, we were supposed to leave and take the ferry there this afternoon, for the MIT Japan Program retreat, but just last night got word (via email) that the main water pipe from Quincy to the island broke, and thus the conference center there has no water. Hence, we ain't going there. :) Right now, I still don't know where we are going to go (apparently we still are going to have the retreat, just not at that location). We'll likely have it at MIT, and just not have it be an overnight thing (at least for today/tonight). Anyways, i hope it all works out ok. I feel bad for the organizers, having to throw something together so unexpectedly! I mean, who could have predicted this? Well, whatever.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
waterville
yesterday morning (~9am) we left for Waterville, NH on the bus. The snow was pretty crazy, and so everything was delayed (it took us 4 hours to get there, when it normally requires just 2-2.5 hrs). Anyway, I'm glad we decided to take the bus there, rather than rent a car or catch a ride with someone else (the thing is, Michael was going too, since he was giving a presentation as well..and earlier he was thinking of just going up in the evening in his advisor's car, and i had considered tagging along) . The road was pretty sketchy ...on the way there we must have seen like 4 or 5 accidents (one involving a semi), and like 6 or 7 cars stuck on the side of the road. That alone slowed the traffic down by quite a bit...half the time it seemed like we were going 10 miles per hour. :) I guess that's ok though, any faster and we could have slid off the road as well!
We ended up getting to Waterville Valley around ~1pm. We ended up getting rooms in the same condos we stayed in last year (Town House). I luckily ended up getting the master bedroom (with a TV in it!) all to myself! Michael wasn't so lucky though, when he got to his suite someone had already claimed the master bedroom. Oh well, he did get his own room though, with a TV (albeit a very old one).
Anyway, soon after getting there, almost everyone else ran off to go skiing. We didn't go, since it seemed like a waste, since at that point we'd only get about 2 hours of skiing, since there wasn't many daylight hours left (and we'd have to pay for rentals & lift tickets). Plus, we were starving! :) So first thing we did is eat lunch (i brought some of the black bean chili i had made the other day). I also brought this really tasty wheat-free chocolate chip cookie (if you zap it in the microwave for a few seconds, the taste is simply to die for)!!
Later on I just watched some TV, took a nap, and later on ended up going to the athletic center there. I ran 2 miles in an "indoor track" (basically the perimeter of a gym) and later worked out. Skipped out on the dinner & talk at the conference center, and instead went out to dinner at this place above the gym. It was on the pricey side ($13/entree) but whatever...the food was good. I ended up getting something called Tofu, Lentil and Sweet Potato ragout...basically it was those things plus carrots, spinach, and onions in a creamy coconut curry sauce. I swear, it must have been the healthiest meal I have ever eaten (i don't think i've ever eaten that many vegetables in an entire week), yet it was quite tasty, and very filling (no room for dessert, which is saying a lot). :)
The next morning I had to get up early, since we all had to check out before heading off to breakfast. The breakfast served was waaay better than last year (this time, they at least had bacon, eggs and sausage, as compared to a montage of bagels, danishes, and scones that they usually have). Yay. Then the actual conference started, with all the presentations. Some people's were really entertaining, but most were pretty boring. Mine ended up being ok, but i was bit thrown off after the projector stopped working right before i was goign to give my talk (causing a 10-minute delay, while they got another projector). Eek. Oh well, at least I got it over with.
The poster sessions were ok, i ended up explaining my poster to like 5 or 6 people. My poster definitely was the brightest of them all...it was green and blue/purple, with bits of red. I must have used like 3x the ink that others did! :)
Oh, and the ride back was pretty smooth..only took about 2 hours (about half the time as it took on the way there!) The bus driver was pretty cool, he put in a movie for us ("What Lies Beneath") which I ended up watching for the most part. Anyways, got back to MIT around 6pm, to which i ate dinner, unpacked, and later went to play "Cranium: Turbo Edition" @ Roger & Dottie's (along with some SPEC and ex-SPEC peeps). It was really fun...i'd forgotten how hilarious playing board games can be. :)
We ended up getting to Waterville Valley around ~1pm. We ended up getting rooms in the same condos we stayed in last year (Town House). I luckily ended up getting the master bedroom (with a TV in it!) all to myself! Michael wasn't so lucky though, when he got to his suite someone had already claimed the master bedroom. Oh well, he did get his own room though, with a TV (albeit a very old one).
Anyway, soon after getting there, almost everyone else ran off to go skiing. We didn't go, since it seemed like a waste, since at that point we'd only get about 2 hours of skiing, since there wasn't many daylight hours left (and we'd have to pay for rentals & lift tickets). Plus, we were starving! :) So first thing we did is eat lunch (i brought some of the black bean chili i had made the other day). I also brought this really tasty wheat-free chocolate chip cookie (if you zap it in the microwave for a few seconds, the taste is simply to die for)!!
Later on I just watched some TV, took a nap, and later on ended up going to the athletic center there. I ran 2 miles in an "indoor track" (basically the perimeter of a gym) and later worked out. Skipped out on the dinner & talk at the conference center, and instead went out to dinner at this place above the gym. It was on the pricey side ($13/entree) but whatever...the food was good. I ended up getting something called Tofu, Lentil and Sweet Potato ragout...basically it was those things plus carrots, spinach, and onions in a creamy coconut curry sauce. I swear, it must have been the healthiest meal I have ever eaten (i don't think i've ever eaten that many vegetables in an entire week), yet it was quite tasty, and very filling (no room for dessert, which is saying a lot). :)
The next morning I had to get up early, since we all had to check out before heading off to breakfast. The breakfast served was waaay better than last year (this time, they at least had bacon, eggs and sausage, as compared to a montage of bagels, danishes, and scones that they usually have). Yay. Then the actual conference started, with all the presentations. Some people's were really entertaining, but most were pretty boring. Mine ended up being ok, but i was bit thrown off after the projector stopped working right before i was goign to give my talk (causing a 10-minute delay, while they got another projector). Eek. Oh well, at least I got it over with.
The poster sessions were ok, i ended up explaining my poster to like 5 or 6 people. My poster definitely was the brightest of them all...it was green and blue/purple, with bits of red. I must have used like 3x the ink that others did! :)
Oh, and the ride back was pretty smooth..only took about 2 hours (about half the time as it took on the way there!) The bus driver was pretty cool, he put in a movie for us ("What Lies Beneath") which I ended up watching for the most part. Anyways, got back to MIT around 6pm, to which i ate dinner, unpacked, and later went to play "Cranium: Turbo Edition" @ Roger & Dottie's (along with some SPEC and ex-SPEC peeps). It was really fun...i'd forgotten how hilarious playing board games can be. :)
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
went running today
..yep, in the cold! i wasn't going to, since i saw that it was only 18 F (and it felt like 6 F), but after 5 minutes on the SP treadmill i realized that i was bored out of my skull and so i went upstairs back to my apt, tossed on a few layers (and a hat and gloves) and ventured outside. It wasn't too bad, actually...the bad part was on Harvard bridge...the wind was really cruel. Also, it was difficult to run in the snow (however, i think it was easier on the knees since it was soft and squishy). :) Anyways, i ended up doing a total of 3.1 miles, which was the most i could stand before feeling like my lungs were freezing. :)
BTW, the gloves that i have are really good...my hands didn't get frozen or anything I got them at EMS, on sale (i think they were like $27 or something like that). They're called EMS "Apollo."
Oh, here's the actual weather conditions when i ran, from weather.com (in metric units):
BTW, the gloves that i have are really good...my hands didn't get frozen or anything I got them at EMS, on sale (i think they were like $27 or something like that). They're called EMS "Apollo."
Oh, here's the actual weather conditions when i ran, from weather.com (in metric units):
Monday, January 24, 2005
well, if it ain't the blizzard of '05
this weekend was pretty insane in terms of snow. took a lot of pics, both as the snow was falling (Sat, Sun) and after (today). Here's me in the SP courtyard, after some of the snow has been shoveled into piles. Pretty crazy huh. For more of my "blizzard pix", click here.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
awesome lipstick
yesterday i went to the Central Square post office to see if my missing package was there. Unfortunately, no such luck. Oh well, at least they'll (eventually) return it back to sender (my mom). That takes forever though.
On the way back from the post office, i went into CVS to escape the cold (not only was it freezing outside, the winds were insane). i ended up buying the new 12-hour lipstick from Almay, for $9.99, in "Truly Raisinette." I normally don't buy makeup in the drugstore, but i had seen the commercial for it, and I was convinced. Anyways, it's really, really great..the color is nice and it really does last 12 hours, and doesn't leave lipstick stains on coffee cups, etc. Hmm..maybe i'll get another color. :) Anyhoo...I would post a link here to the product on drugstore.com or something, but apparently it's so new it's not even sold online yet (?).
In other news, i finally started working on my poster for the MTL review yesterday, around like 4pm. I was dreading having to put it together, but i actually had fun doing it (i played around with color schemes and AutoShapes a lot :) ). I'm about 90% done now, which is pretty good, considering i haven't worked on it for very long. Yay!
On the way back from the post office, i went into CVS to escape the cold (not only was it freezing outside, the winds were insane). i ended up buying the new 12-hour lipstick from Almay, for $9.99, in "Truly Raisinette." I normally don't buy makeup in the drugstore, but i had seen the commercial for it, and I was convinced. Anyways, it's really, really great..the color is nice and it really does last 12 hours, and doesn't leave lipstick stains on coffee cups, etc. Hmm..maybe i'll get another color. :) Anyhoo...I would post a link here to the product on drugstore.com or something, but apparently it's so new it's not even sold online yet (?).
In other news, i finally started working on my poster for the MTL review yesterday, around like 4pm. I was dreading having to put it together, but i actually had fun doing it (i played around with color schemes and AutoShapes a lot :) ). I'm about 90% done now, which is pretty good, considering i haven't worked on it for very long. Yay!
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
help, i'm being preserved
dude, it is so damn cold outside. just thought i'd say that. apparently it's 10F, feels like -20F with the wind chill. Well it might as well be -500F, it's too cold to do squat out there. Just walking from Tech Square to 39 was too much. Argh. Well i'm glad i don't have to run in this weather. i pray to god it's not this cold when i do my 18 or 20 miler in a month or so. eek.
the mtl posters are due tomorrow, but i haven't started mine since i've been busy with finishing this report. i have to figure something out. arg.
oh, and this morning i sent out an email to a few dorm lists (including s-p), advertising the free AMC movie ticket for next 8 ppl who donated $20 or more (in support my running the boston marathon and raising funds for leukemia research). but nobody bit it. :( i guess everyone's either gone or busy or broke (or they have already donated, kind souls that they are) oh well. if you're a random person who's reading this, i ask you to please take pity on me and donate at least a *few cents* (even a penny, i'm serious) to support my efforts in running this marathon, so i know i'm not speaking to a wall. just go to http://RunAnitaRun.hopto.org and click on "Donate Now" on the right.
i wonder who finds this blog anyway (and who actually wastes their time reading it...). :)
the mtl posters are due tomorrow, but i haven't started mine since i've been busy with finishing this report. i have to figure something out. arg.
oh, and this morning i sent out an email to a few dorm lists (including s-p), advertising the free AMC movie ticket for next 8 ppl who donated $20 or more (in support my running the boston marathon and raising funds for leukemia research). but nobody bit it. :( i guess everyone's either gone or busy or broke (or they have already donated, kind souls that they are) oh well. if you're a random person who's reading this, i ask you to please take pity on me and donate at least a *few cents* (even a penny, i'm serious) to support my efforts in running this marathon, so i know i'm not speaking to a wall. just go to http://RunAnitaRun.hopto.org and click on "Donate Now" on the right.
i wonder who finds this blog anyway (and who actually wastes their time reading it...). :)
Friday, January 14, 2005
Jim Gaffigan is hilarious! He was on the late show last night, and he was pretty funny. The funniest, though, was when I saw him live last summer at the Montreal Comedy festival, and he was the host of one of the shows. He was funnier than some of the featured comics! I still remember his jokes, especially the one about Hot Pockets...lol! :)
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Aero bars
i fail to understand why Aero bars (from Nestle) are not actively sold in the United States. They're absolutely delicious (i just had a few bites of one after breakfast). They have a the same ingredients as a regular milk chocolate bar, but they have a "fluffier" texture so it tastes better (sort of like how whipped cream cheese tastes better than regular (IMO, anyway)). They're really popular in Canada (and I assume in Europe as well)...and luckily (as i just found out after some googling), they're sold in Japan as well!! Woo-hoo. so i'll get to enjoy a few (maybe more than that) this summer. :)
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
diet coke... again
i sort of have a love-hate relationship with diet coke. on one hand, i really, really hate it--the taste isn't great, with every sip i worry what the aspartame is doing to my body, and i don't like the stigma that goes a long with being a diet-coke-drinker (i.e. a sign that you're a person who would rather drink a inferior-tasting drink that contains a potentially harmful substance produced by an an evil company, just to save 140 measly calories (or to not have to drink just plain water)). :)
so i don't like diet coke, and i don't like to be seen with one... yet i often crave it. and i sometimes give in to those cravings and slip in 75 cents of my hard-earned money into the 6th floor vending machine for a can of the bad stuff. the can opens with a snap, and then there's all this anticipation...ah, a diet coke. and sure, the first few sips can even be described as refreshing. yet after every can i finish, i always think "well... that was disappointing." and "hmmm..i hope those folks at Monsanto were right when they said that aspartame doesn't cause brain tumors." Ack. Well, i guess i'm just in it for the caffeine, and for that temporary "high" that breaks the late-afternoon lull (when its too early to go home and there's tons of work to do, and i just need *something* to get me through the day).
Anyways, whatever. I had two diet cokes today, which is a very rare occasion that hopefully will never repeat itself. I usually only have about 1 diet coke a week or something, which i know isn't that much of an addiction (John Edwards is a true Diet Coke fiend, and he's still alive, which makes me feel slightly better). :)
p.s. a lot of people wonder why ppl drink Diet Coke and not regular. after all, 140 calories isn't much, right. yeah, but the thing is, some people don't want 46 grams of sugar running through their system (at the same time as all that caffeine). Plus, some people think that calories really shouldn't be wasted on soda (and i agree...i'd rather take those calories via a serving of ice cream instead). So why not drink water? I mean, it's a lot better for you, has no harmful chemicals (hopefully), and best of all, it doesn't cost anything. Well, the fact of the matter is, water just doesn't have that "zing." A glass of cold water can't wake you up in the late afternoon enough to get you through a couple hours of number-crunching. It can't take the edge off and let you temporarily forget your troubles for about 2 minutes. Sigh... :)
so i don't like diet coke, and i don't like to be seen with one... yet i often crave it. and i sometimes give in to those cravings and slip in 75 cents of my hard-earned money into the 6th floor vending machine for a can of the bad stuff. the can opens with a snap, and then there's all this anticipation...ah, a diet coke. and sure, the first few sips can even be described as refreshing. yet after every can i finish, i always think "well... that was disappointing." and "hmmm..i hope those folks at Monsanto were right when they said that aspartame doesn't cause brain tumors." Ack. Well, i guess i'm just in it for the caffeine, and for that temporary "high" that breaks the late-afternoon lull (when its too early to go home and there's tons of work to do, and i just need *something* to get me through the day).
Anyways, whatever. I had two diet cokes today, which is a very rare occasion that hopefully will never repeat itself. I usually only have about 1 diet coke a week or something, which i know isn't that much of an addiction (John Edwards is a true Diet Coke fiend, and he's still alive, which makes me feel slightly better). :)
p.s. a lot of people wonder why ppl drink Diet Coke and not regular. after all, 140 calories isn't much, right. yeah, but the thing is, some people don't want 46 grams of sugar running through their system (at the same time as all that caffeine). Plus, some people think that calories really shouldn't be wasted on soda (and i agree...i'd rather take those calories via a serving of ice cream instead). So why not drink water? I mean, it's a lot better for you, has no harmful chemicals (hopefully), and best of all, it doesn't cost anything. Well, the fact of the matter is, water just doesn't have that "zing." A glass of cold water can't wake you up in the late afternoon enough to get you through a couple hours of number-crunching. It can't take the edge off and let you temporarily forget your troubles for about 2 minutes. Sigh... :)
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
still on California time..?
i woke up this morning at 11am. Ack! I went to bed around 1am, so that's 10 hours of sleep (usually i only need 7). Hmm..maybe it's all the running. Whatever.
So far, my knees feel a bit better today..i think yesterday's yoga class helped a lot. I'm supposed to run like 4 miles today, but i don't know if i will..i might hold off till tomorrow. i might go to wellbridge instead and do take a class there. i think i'll probably should start go to wellbridge 3x a week or something...it's really complements my marathon training (helps prevent injuries). Plus, the fact that i'm paying like $106 a month for it means i should really use it!! :)
So far, my knees feel a bit better today..i think yesterday's yoga class helped a lot. I'm supposed to run like 4 miles today, but i don't know if i will..i might hold off till tomorrow. i might go to wellbridge instead and do take a class there. i think i'll probably should start go to wellbridge 3x a week or something...it's really complements my marathon training (helps prevent injuries). Plus, the fact that i'm paying like $106 a month for it means i should really use it!! :)
Sunday, January 09, 2005
adflkdjsfldsjfldjflakdjf
ack..my room is *such* a mess. i hate this--i spend an hour cleaning my room and then like 3 days later it becomes a complete sty. ack. i can't understand those people who manage to keep their room clean constantly (and yes, those people *do* exist..i've lived with a number of such people). hmm..i guess the secret is not being lazy enough to create a mess in the first place, and always thinking first before where you put things. Also, I guess any disorganization in your room has to bother you enough for you to want to clean things up on a continuous basis (i.e. thinking like Adrian Monk). But I say, who wants to worry about the disarray-of-the-moment? I've got so many more important things to worry about! :)
P.S. According to this article, a messy desk may actually help one's productivity at work. So there. :)
P.S. According to this article, a messy desk may actually help one's productivity at work. So there. :)
Saturday, January 08, 2005
dude, it's 2 pm and i still haven't eaten lunch yet. and i have only had 1 hour of sleep in the past 28 hours. hmm. to eat, or to sleep?? What a wonderful dilemma. :)
Oh, but there's also the option of eating AND watching TV at the same time (which will eventually induce sleep). Yay! :)
Oh, but there's also the option of eating AND watching TV at the same time (which will eventually induce sleep). Yay! :)
crazy (yet wonderful) day
hours of sleep last night: 1
calories for breakfast this morning: 420
miles ran today: 9
minutes it took: 98
degrees outside: 30 (F)
hills: i lost count. though i think Heartbreak was one of them
negative thoughts i had while running: 0*
*yeah right! :) Though i'm technically supposed to be reducing the number of negative thoughts during running (at training today we had the seminar on sports psychology). The guy said the average person has 66,000 thoughts a day, and 70-80% of them are negative. Eek. He said that people tend to have bad attitudes towards running (i.e. it's cold, it's snowing, my feet hurt, the hills are a bitch), but that only makes people worse and less effective runners. Hmm, makes sense I guess.
Well, i don't know if it was because of the positive thinking that this morning's run was pretty good (miraculously, i dind't feel tired...i only took 2 breaks for water for the first 8 or so miles)! The snow wasn't that bad, it actually was kind of cool! I don't think i've ever run while it was snowing before. And it actualy wasn't that cold (30 F, but almost no wind), however my hands did feel like they were getting frostbitten (even though i was wearing gloves). Oh, and I thank god for my mp3 player..have music is almost crucial for me when i 'm running!
BTW, a really interesting/cool thing happened towards the end of my run. I had like half a mile left or so, and i started to feel a bit sick (common on long runs). I was just coming up the last hill, and I slowed down to a walk for the first time. But the sick feeling wasn't going away. I started to think that i would end up either (a) passing out or (b) having to retch (ew) in a nearby bush. But then at that instant "Fields of Gold" (by Sting) started playing on my mp3 player. So what, you ask. Well, coincidentally (or not?), that is the very song that was played at the funeral of my family friend who died of leukemia about 10 years ago. I remember that was the first time I heard the song (i was in high school), and to this day, i still think of her every single time I hear it. So when that certain song started playing (i have over 900 songs randomly arranged in my mp3 player) I couldn't believe it! It made me remember the reason for me doing this marathon in the first place (to raise funds to help stop leukemia from taking more lives). Just realizing that actually made the sick feeling disappear (i kid you not), and I was able to run the rest of the way back. And the song ended exactly when I got back, at an exact 9.0 miles! Wow. Call it coincidence, call it whatever...for me, it was motivation, and it worked. Thank you, Estrella. :)
calories for breakfast this morning: 420
miles ran today: 9
minutes it took: 98
degrees outside: 30 (F)
hills: i lost count. though i think Heartbreak was one of them
negative thoughts i had while running: 0*
*yeah right! :) Though i'm technically supposed to be reducing the number of negative thoughts during running (at training today we had the seminar on sports psychology). The guy said the average person has 66,000 thoughts a day, and 70-80% of them are negative. Eek. He said that people tend to have bad attitudes towards running (i.e. it's cold, it's snowing, my feet hurt, the hills are a bitch), but that only makes people worse and less effective runners. Hmm, makes sense I guess.
Well, i don't know if it was because of the positive thinking that this morning's run was pretty good (miraculously, i dind't feel tired...i only took 2 breaks for water for the first 8 or so miles)! The snow wasn't that bad, it actually was kind of cool! I don't think i've ever run while it was snowing before. And it actualy wasn't that cold (30 F, but almost no wind), however my hands did feel like they were getting frostbitten (even though i was wearing gloves). Oh, and I thank god for my mp3 player..have music is almost crucial for me when i 'm running!
BTW, a really interesting/cool thing happened towards the end of my run. I had like half a mile left or so, and i started to feel a bit sick (common on long runs). I was just coming up the last hill, and I slowed down to a walk for the first time. But the sick feeling wasn't going away. I started to think that i would end up either (a) passing out or (b) having to retch (ew) in a nearby bush. But then at that instant "Fields of Gold" (by Sting) started playing on my mp3 player. So what, you ask. Well, coincidentally (or not?), that is the very song that was played at the funeral of my family friend who died of leukemia about 10 years ago. I remember that was the first time I heard the song (i was in high school), and to this day, i still think of her every single time I hear it. So when that certain song started playing (i have over 900 songs randomly arranged in my mp3 player) I couldn't believe it! It made me remember the reason for me doing this marathon in the first place (to raise funds to help stop leukemia from taking more lives). Just realizing that actually made the sick feeling disappear (i kid you not), and I was able to run the rest of the way back. And the song ended exactly when I got back, at an exact 9.0 miles! Wow. Call it coincidence, call it whatever...for me, it was motivation, and it worked. Thank you, Estrella. :)
Friday, January 07, 2005
cool quotes
Who is the happier man: he who has braved the storm of life and lived, or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? -Hunter S. Thompson
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear. -Mark Twain
If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut. -Albert Einstein
The average man, who does not know what to do with his life, wants another one which will last forever. -Anatole France
Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. -Susan Ertz
A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned to walk forward. -Franklin D. Roosevelt
A conservative is a man who sits and thinks, mostly sits. -Woodrow Wilson
We're all capable of mistakes, but I do not care to enlighten you on the mistakes we may or may not have made. -Dan Quayle
Nearly all marriages, even happy ones, are mistakes: in the sense that almost certainly (in a more perfect world, or even with a little more care in this very imperfect one) both partners might be found more suitable mates. But the real soul-mate is the one you are actually married to. -J. R. R. Tolkien
An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field. -Niels Bohr
Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning. -Rich Cook
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear. -Mark Twain
If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut. -Albert Einstein
The average man, who does not know what to do with his life, wants another one which will last forever. -Anatole France
Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. -Susan Ertz
A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned to walk forward. -Franklin D. Roosevelt
A conservative is a man who sits and thinks, mostly sits. -Woodrow Wilson
We're all capable of mistakes, but I do not care to enlighten you on the mistakes we may or may not have made. -Dan Quayle
Nearly all marriages, even happy ones, are mistakes: in the sense that almost certainly (in a more perfect world, or even with a little more care in this very imperfect one) both partners might be found more suitable mates. But the real soul-mate is the one you are actually married to. -J. R. R. Tolkien
An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field. -Niels Bohr
Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning. -Rich Cook
Thursday, January 06, 2005
OMG, an EMG
this morning i had an EMG (electromyography) test at Mt. Auburn Hospital (to find out more about what an EMG is, go here). Basically, it's not a very pleasant experience...first, electrodes are placed on various places in your body, and pulses of electricity are passed through them (you basically feel like your being shocked..it doesn't feel great). Then, needles are stuck in various places, to check for muscle damage...that part, although painful, wasn't as bad as the shocking. At least though, in the end, the doc said there were no signs of nerve damage, so i guess that's good. i guess i'll have to wait to hear back from the neurologist to see more what's going on.
oh, and today i went to Wellbridge, for the first time in months (i froze my membership for November and December). There were no classes happening at the time I went, so I just stretched and worked out on the elliptical trainer. I also went to the hot tub, which was so amazingly relaxing. I love hot tubs!! I swear, I'm definitely getting a hot tub when i own my own home...it's more crucial to me than a big-screen TV, or a car, even (well, i guess it depends on where I'll end up living). The hot tub is one of the main reasons i decided on Wellbridge (rather than paying $70 every 6 weeks for the Zcenter, which 1) doesn't have a hot tub 2) doesn't have as many classes and 3) gets crowded as hell between 5-7pm). Yeah, the downside is that i have to take the T to Harvard every time i go there (in the winter, at least), but i really like the feel of going to a "real" club (where people have families, jobs, etc), and not just a place where zombie-like students go to cram in their 45 minutes of studying on stationary bike.
oh, and today i went to Wellbridge, for the first time in months (i froze my membership for November and December). There were no classes happening at the time I went, so I just stretched and worked out on the elliptical trainer. I also went to the hot tub, which was so amazingly relaxing. I love hot tubs!! I swear, I'm definitely getting a hot tub when i own my own home...it's more crucial to me than a big-screen TV, or a car, even (well, i guess it depends on where I'll end up living). The hot tub is one of the main reasons i decided on Wellbridge (rather than paying $70 every 6 weeks for the Zcenter, which 1) doesn't have a hot tub 2) doesn't have as many classes and 3) gets crowded as hell between 5-7pm). Yeah, the downside is that i have to take the T to Harvard every time i go there (in the winter, at least), but i really like the feel of going to a "real" club (where people have families, jobs, etc), and not just a place where zombie-like students go to cram in their 45 minutes of studying on stationary bike.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
ditch fitch!
even though they had to pay through the nose (read: $40 million) to settle claims of racism, i still don't think a company like Abercrombie & Fitch deserves a cent of decent people's business. I usually am pretty skeptical of claims about racism/sexism in the work place (i'm against affirmative action), but the case against Fitch seems pretty solid (just google it, and you'll find variety of claims of racism, both in their clothing and in their hiring policies). Personally, I don't know of a single Asian, black or Hispanic person who has had anything positive to say about that company. also, Republicans hate them too, because apparently they have a pretty racy catalogue (i.e. semi-nude preteens), and they actually make thongs for young girls. Sheesh!
Here's the press release about the settlement..it's fairly recent (November 2004). At least some lawsuits are good for something...maybe they'll become decent someday.
Here's the press release about the settlement..it's fairly recent (November 2004). At least some lawsuits are good for something...maybe they'll become decent someday.
songs
for future reference, i'm just putting together a list of songs that i happen to like, i'll probably make them into playlists or something...
Happy Music (instant mood lifters; with these, you don't need Prozac)
50 Cent - 21 Questions
R. Kelly - Ignition (Remix)
Janet Jackson - All For You
Modest Mouse - Float On
Happy End - Kaze wo Atsumete from "Lost in Translation
Sugar Ray - Even Though
Sugar Ray - Someday
Jason Mraz - The Remedy
TLC - Diggin' on You
Maroon 5 - Sunday Morning from "Love Actually"
Celia Cruz - Babalu
Celia Cruz - Guantamera
Oasis - Champagne Supernova
Bjork - I Miss You (Dobie Part 1 remix)
Bjork - Alarm Call
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Robbie Williams - Beyond the Sea
Robbie Williams - Have you met Miss Jones
Robbie Williams - Ain't that a kick in the head
Kenny Loggins - Footloose
Musical Youth - Pass the Dutchie
Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule The World
Gorillaz - Re-Hash
Running Music (gives all the motivation needed to run 26.2 miles)
Gorillaz - 5/4
Gorillaz - Fifa 2002
Garbage - Cherry Lips (Go, Baby Go)
Telepopmusik - Breathe (from 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander commercial)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Rollercoaster of Love
La Bouche - Be My Lover
Crystal Waters - 100% Pure Love
Run Lola Run soundtrack (all songs)
Angry Music (after you've just failed an exam, been reamed out, etc)
Eamon - Fuck It (unedited)
Ice Cube - Down for Whatever
Slow/Somber Music (a rainy or snowy day)
Robbie Williams - She's the One
Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
Gorillaz - Tomorrow comes Today
Black Eyed Peas & Justin Timberlake - Where is the Love
The Cranberries - No Need to Argue (entire album)
Tears for Fears - I know this much is true
Relaxing Music (forget sleeping pills, use these instead)
Enya (all songs)
Norah Jones (all songs)
Square Pusher - Tommib (from "Lost in Translation" soundtrack)
Happy Music (instant mood lifters; with these, you don't need Prozac)
50 Cent - 21 Questions
R. Kelly - Ignition (Remix)
Janet Jackson - All For You
Modest Mouse - Float On
Happy End - Kaze wo Atsumete from "Lost in Translation
Sugar Ray - Even Though
Sugar Ray - Someday
Jason Mraz - The Remedy
TLC - Diggin' on You
Maroon 5 - Sunday Morning from "Love Actually"
Celia Cruz - Babalu
Celia Cruz - Guantamera
Oasis - Champagne Supernova
Bjork - I Miss You (Dobie Part 1 remix)
Bjork - Alarm Call
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Robbie Williams - Beyond the Sea
Robbie Williams - Have you met Miss Jones
Robbie Williams - Ain't that a kick in the head
Kenny Loggins - Footloose
Musical Youth - Pass the Dutchie
Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule The World
Gorillaz - Re-Hash
Running Music (gives all the motivation needed to run 26.2 miles)
Gorillaz - 5/4
Gorillaz - Fifa 2002
Garbage - Cherry Lips (Go, Baby Go)
Telepopmusik - Breathe (from 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander commercial)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Rollercoaster of Love
La Bouche - Be My Lover
Crystal Waters - 100% Pure Love
Run Lola Run soundtrack (all songs)
Angry Music (after you've just failed an exam, been reamed out, etc)
Eamon - Fuck It (unedited)
Ice Cube - Down for Whatever
Slow/Somber Music (a rainy or snowy day)
Robbie Williams - She's the One
Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
Gorillaz - Tomorrow comes Today
Black Eyed Peas & Justin Timberlake - Where is the Love
The Cranberries - No Need to Argue (entire album)
Tears for Fears - I know this much is true
Relaxing Music (forget sleeping pills, use these instead)
Enya (all songs)
Norah Jones (all songs)
Square Pusher - Tommib (from "Lost in Translation" soundtrack)
WHY does chocolate have to be so wonderful???
damn, i just two fudge-brownie things (from EECS party in Grier Rm), plus a handful of Smarties (the Canadian kind, not the sugary aspirin-shaped Halloween candy). Argh. I was supposed to eat just one piece, but that other one was calling my name, see. Oh well, i take comfort in the fact that i'll be running 9 miles on Saturday (making the week's total of 17 miles). :) i swear, if i hated chocolate, i'd probably be 10 lbs lighter (ok, 5 *at least*). but i guess i should be happy for the simple pleasures in life... ;)
oh well... back to work...
oh well... back to work...
let it snow
woke up at 10:30 this morning and saw that it was snowing outside! hurray. snow is definitely nicer than rain, IMO. plus, i don't have to go running today. :)
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
i love that commercial for Sonic Smokehouse Club Wraps, where that guy pronounces the "W" in words like "wrap" and "wrench." Hilarious!!! Hooray for funny commercials! :)
yay for good weather!!
well i guess my wishes came true...today it didn't rain (at least in the morning/early afternoon), so i went running. The weather was perfect (IMO) for running, about 45 degrees and cloudy, almost no wind. I ran Harvard-Science loop and then some, coming to about 4.25 miles (in 44 minutes). I'm excited cuz that's a decent time (for me), especially since i didn't take any walking breaks whatsoever. Yay!!
ack
today i got out of bed at 8:30am--not by choice, but because i thought we had group meeting at 10am. well at 8:40 i get word that there isn't going to be a meeting, since i'm the only one back from vacation. ;) oh well. i really wanted to get back to bed at that point, but i was starving (i only had 2 meals yesterday) so i went on to breakfast (always a great start). ;-)
anyway, i was up till 3:30am last night, watching a movie called "Arlington Road" on USA. It seemed like a pretty good movie (pretty suspenseful), but i just found the ending a tad too disturbing/frustrating.
Right now I'm watching "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." It's hilarious! 80's teen movies always give me a good laugh (the sillier/cornier, the better!). :)
i watch waaay to much TV these days. should spend more time running instead. :)
anyway, i was up till 3:30am last night, watching a movie called "Arlington Road" on USA. It seemed like a pretty good movie (pretty suspenseful), but i just found the ending a tad too disturbing/frustrating.
Right now I'm watching "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." It's hilarious! 80's teen movies always give me a good laugh (the sillier/cornier, the better!). :)
i watch waaay to much TV these days. should spend more time running instead. :)
Monday, January 03, 2005
back to work (sort of)
ok, well i woke up at noon this morning. oops. i don't know how that happened..i went to bed around 2am (i think even before that). maybe cuz it was a cloudy day. whatever.
a few hours later, i came into work this morning, only to find out that someone stole the anti-bush sticker off my office door. grr! oh well, i have to put up a few others in their place. for those who didn't get a chance to see it, here it is:
anyways, i really enjoyed the weather today. God is being nice. :) i just wish it would last a little longer (just until tomorrow), since i have to run 4 miles then. i see that it's supposed to rain tomorrow (so i'll probably end up on the treadmill, which i don't enjoy much). i would go running tonight, but i know i really shouldn't run in the dark (it's not very safe, especially if i go by myself). i should really get some night-time running gear (maybe one of those light vests, with reflectors and LEDs), especially since it gets dark so early.
a few hours later, i came into work this morning, only to find out that someone stole the anti-bush sticker off my office door. grr! oh well, i have to put up a few others in their place. for those who didn't get a chance to see it, here it is:
anyways, i really enjoyed the weather today. God is being nice. :) i just wish it would last a little longer (just until tomorrow), since i have to run 4 miles then. i see that it's supposed to rain tomorrow (so i'll probably end up on the treadmill, which i don't enjoy much). i would go running tonight, but i know i really shouldn't run in the dark (it's not very safe, especially if i go by myself). i should really get some night-time running gear (maybe one of those light vests, with reflectors and LEDs), especially since it gets dark so early.
vacations over, time to work
i just updated my website...added some pictures. It took forever since i had to go through my huge stash (1000's) of pictures and select them, and then resize them, create the html, etc. And i'm not even close to being done! Oh well, i'm going to stop now...i'm tired and i don't want to get carpal tunnel. Plus, i have to go to work tomorrow. Vacation's officially over!
Oh, and a random note-i baked some bread today (using the bread machine), but it didn't turn out so hot. It had a nice taste and it wasn't inedible, however it didn't turn out nice and fluffy like that one time i made it. Argh. I really need to get white spelt flour (it will be easier to make it rise). Also, i wonder if i should use baking powder (since the flour i use does not have gluten, then i need *something* to make it rise...?). Oh well, i think i'll figure it out eventually (so far, this is about my 7th try). Yes, i'm frustrated, but i think i just need to find the secret to baking a high-rising bread without gluten, and i'm done. I have some confidence in it...it took me six or seven miserable attempts at making non-dairy yogurt (using my new yogurt maker), but i finally got the hang of it (the key things: DON'T use coconut milk (use soymilk instead); ALWAYS add *some* sugar in it (at least 1TBS per quart); heat the soymilk to 110F before incubating; add 1 tbsp of arrowroot or cornstarch to help thickening).
Oh, and a random note-i baked some bread today (using the bread machine), but it didn't turn out so hot. It had a nice taste and it wasn't inedible, however it didn't turn out nice and fluffy like that one time i made it. Argh. I really need to get white spelt flour (it will be easier to make it rise). Also, i wonder if i should use baking powder (since the flour i use does not have gluten, then i need *something* to make it rise...?). Oh well, i think i'll figure it out eventually (so far, this is about my 7th try). Yes, i'm frustrated, but i think i just need to find the secret to baking a high-rising bread without gluten, and i'm done. I have some confidence in it...it took me six or seven miserable attempts at making non-dairy yogurt (using my new yogurt maker), but i finally got the hang of it (the key things: DON'T use coconut milk (use soymilk instead); ALWAYS add *some* sugar in it (at least 1TBS per quart); heat the soymilk to 110F before incubating; add 1 tbsp of arrowroot or cornstarch to help thickening).
Sunday, January 02, 2005
my new favorite song
if you haven't heard "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5, you should...it's a great song!! I hear it played on the radio every now and then. I think i'm going to be good and actually buy the CD (I like Maroon 5's other songs too).
Arg...i just tried sending the polyphonic ringtone of "Sunday Morning" to my cellphone, but apparently Verizon isn't one of the the supported providers. :( Oh well...for those of you who have T-mobile, AT&T, or Cingular, you can get the link to the ringtone (and other songs from Maroon 5) here.
Arg...i just tried sending the polyphonic ringtone of "Sunday Morning" to my cellphone, but apparently Verizon isn't one of the the supported providers. :( Oh well...for those of you who have T-mobile, AT&T, or Cingular, you can get the link to the ringtone (and other songs from Maroon 5) here.
cool quote
The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it. - P. J. O'Rourke
i would write more than this, but it's almost 3am, and i'm tired. :)
i would write more than this, but it's almost 3am, and i'm tired. :)
