8/28/05, 1:36 p.m. --
Milestones.
Two relatively important milestones have occurred since the last time I updated. On August 17th, I
celebrated my one-year anniversary of moving to Mpls! (Or at least I would have celebrated had I
realized the significance of that particular day.) I find it hard to believe that I've already been
up in the great white north that long, it still feels like I'm getting adjusted to living here. But
overall I think I'm satisfied with where I'm at -- the city is growing on me, I am enjoying my
classwork and research (even if I'm not as far along as I'd like), and I'm finally starting to
get to know some people, too. Woo Mpls =)
The second 'milestone' happened yesterday, when I went on what was probably the longest run I've ever done. As the Rock n Roll Half Marathon is next weekend in Virginia Beach (running it with Ross, Kyle, Ashley, and maybe Poorman), I decided I ought to see if I could actually run that far. So I found a decent 14-mile loop that went through downtown and around the chain of lakes, and although I had to cut some of it off (I could feel my legs starting to go, and I was only half done) I managed to do about 12 miles of it in 95 minutes. Easily the farthest and longest duration I've ever gone, and I only stopped a couple times to get water and stretch out my legs a bit. Today, however, I'm paying the price ... my legs feel like bricks. But at least I know I can probably survive the RnR Half =)
Token sunset picture from Clitherall Lake trip with Brian and Joe, 8/16/05.
The second 'milestone' happened yesterday, when I went on what was probably the longest run I've ever done. As the Rock n Roll Half Marathon is next weekend in Virginia Beach (running it with Ross, Kyle, Ashley, and maybe Poorman), I decided I ought to see if I could actually run that far. So I found a decent 14-mile loop that went through downtown and around the chain of lakes, and although I had to cut some of it off (I could feel my legs starting to go, and I was only half done) I managed to do about 12 miles of it in 95 minutes. Easily the farthest and longest duration I've ever gone, and I only stopped a couple times to get water and stretch out my legs a bit. Today, however, I'm paying the price ... my legs feel like bricks. But at least I know I can probably survive the RnR Half =)
Token sunset picture from Clitherall Lake trip with Brian and Joe, 8/16/05.
8/4/05, 8:47 p.m. --
Part of the queue.
Well it's August now, so it's about time for my monthly update. Quite a lot has happened in the
last few weeks since I moved, I'm not really even sure where to begin. I suppose I will start with
the subject of mad Apple loot, since I have been acquiring some as of late. The same
weekend I was reading Harry Potter 6 I decided not to order a refurb iBook and instead wait for
Apple to announce new ones, which were due 'any day.' So I ordered a refurb 15g iPod instead,
and I'm loving it. It goes everywhere with me in a nice clean gym sock stuffed in my backpack =P
Of course the next step was to play the waiting game until Apple announced new iBooks -- which they did a little over a week ago. I ordered one that very morning, and much to my surprise (and after spending 3 days in the FedEx sorting facility in Shanghai), it showed up at my door Monday morning. I swear it must have teleported, since when I went to bed the night before FedEx.com said it was in China. At any rate, I went to the trouble over the next day to load all my old crap back on, before testing to see whether the combo drive worked (silly me). Which it didn't. Wouldn't load half the CD's or DVD's I put in it, even though they'd pop up right away in the G4. *sigh* I just had too much Apple awesomeness for my own good. Currently the broken one is en route to CA, and my replacement is being airmailed from China (I assume). =\
On the project front, I've also been pretty busy, although not with any laptops or computers this time. When I moved into my new place I noticed there was a pile of old and rusty bikes next to a storage shed, which hadn't been there before. I got permission from the landlady to take whatever I wanted, so I grabbed two Bianchi's (mtn bike and a hybrid) that happened to be in far better shape than anything there. Over the next week or so I scrapped the drivetrain of the mountain bike and borrowed what parts I could from the hybrid, while creating a significant mess in my living room. As it turned out I was woefully lacking in a number of useful tools and additional parts, but probably over $100 later I had everything I needed. And somehow, magically perhaps, I created one working bike from two non-functional ones! And although the front derailleur is a bit worn and refuses to hold its adjustments, the rest of the bike runs smooth as silk. I'm actually pretty shocked. I also feel that I learned enough in the process that when I acquire enough funds I can commence benbike project 2.0, which will be to convert what's left of the hybrid (frame/headset/crankset) into a pretty nice roadbike.
Last but not least, I acquired a little piece of south sherman legacy last Friday when Andy brought up his remaining fish (two large balas, a mega snail, and perhaps the largest tiger barb I've ever seen.) Would have been tough for him to take them with to NYC, so he unloaded them on me, but I had been meaning to get Alex's old 12-gal eclipse cleaned up for awhile now and this forced me to do it. After a complicated procedure in which I put the fish in my old 10-gal for a few days while cleaning the salt-and-sand-encrusted 12-gal, the fish are happily (?) alive and well in the Eclipse as of last night. The picture below doesn't do it any justice, but it's a sweet tank even if it's got a few scratches. Thanks, guys =P
Of course the next step was to play the waiting game until Apple announced new iBooks -- which they did a little over a week ago. I ordered one that very morning, and much to my surprise (and after spending 3 days in the FedEx sorting facility in Shanghai), it showed up at my door Monday morning. I swear it must have teleported, since when I went to bed the night before FedEx.com said it was in China. At any rate, I went to the trouble over the next day to load all my old crap back on, before testing to see whether the combo drive worked (silly me). Which it didn't. Wouldn't load half the CD's or DVD's I put in it, even though they'd pop up right away in the G4. *sigh* I just had too much Apple awesomeness for my own good. Currently the broken one is en route to CA, and my replacement is being airmailed from China (I assume). =\
On the project front, I've also been pretty busy, although not with any laptops or computers this time. When I moved into my new place I noticed there was a pile of old and rusty bikes next to a storage shed, which hadn't been there before. I got permission from the landlady to take whatever I wanted, so I grabbed two Bianchi's (mtn bike and a hybrid) that happened to be in far better shape than anything there. Over the next week or so I scrapped the drivetrain of the mountain bike and borrowed what parts I could from the hybrid, while creating a significant mess in my living room. As it turned out I was woefully lacking in a number of useful tools and additional parts, but probably over $100 later I had everything I needed. And somehow, magically perhaps, I created one working bike from two non-functional ones! And although the front derailleur is a bit worn and refuses to hold its adjustments, the rest of the bike runs smooth as silk. I'm actually pretty shocked. I also feel that I learned enough in the process that when I acquire enough funds I can commence benbike project 2.0, which will be to convert what's left of the hybrid (frame/headset/crankset) into a pretty nice roadbike.
Last but not least, I acquired a little piece of south sherman legacy last Friday when Andy brought up his remaining fish (two large balas, a mega snail, and perhaps the largest tiger barb I've ever seen.) Would have been tough for him to take them with to NYC, so he unloaded them on me, but I had been meaning to get Alex's old 12-gal eclipse cleaned up for awhile now and this forced me to do it. After a complicated procedure in which I put the fish in my old 10-gal for a few days while cleaning the salt-and-sand-encrusted 12-gal, the fish are happily (?) alive and well in the Eclipse as of last night. The picture below doesn't do it any justice, but it's a sweet tank even if it's got a few scratches. Thanks, guys =P
