Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The studio
awesome basement now.
...which I suppose it is!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Gingerbread castle
the walls, and Connor put the turrets together :)
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Physics-defying candy canes
heavy, and it's loose, so nothing's holding the candy canes up! Yet
they're standing straight as if of their own accord. MADNESS!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Well, that was a neat, if frustrating, dream
Last night I dreamed I was meeting a bunch of friends for some sort of high tech convention and movie premiere at this (fictional) amazing exhibition center in Cincinnati. Mom was there, and so was Brooke and her mom (and a saber-toothed tiger that was apparently the family pet), and Brooke's sister-in-law Dorothy and her daughter Allison were there, and my friend Dawn from Malaysia and my friend Roderick from Singapore, and then my friend Hai from California was going to meet us.
The event was huge. We passed through a long hallway lined with high tech toys and geeky crafts we could buy. There were lots of paper art products that were packaged flat but you could unfold and put together into mathematical shapes and pop culture designs. And of course there were plenty of gadgets.
Once we were in the center proper, we saw that a giant cylindrical core ran the length of the building. It was extremely big, such that it was large enough to house several whales, who entertained us with their song as they swam up and down from floor to floor.
We walked around for a long time looking for our seats. I'd bought very good tickets. Finally we found the VIP check-in. It was a white table manned by a few guides and equipped with several videoconference machines, allowing the conference hosts to interact with us as we checked in. Koji Kondo was the one to take my ticket. "It's an honor to meet you, sir!" I told the little screen above the ticket scanner, and he smiled and bowed.
Brooke and her mom got distracted at one point trying to get the saber-toothed tiger to cooperate. It was fixated on an area near the top of the building that looked like a gas station. Meanwhile, Mom and I tried to go to the bathroom, but despite the sheer size of the place, the line was really long.
Finally we made it to a table. I'm not sure if it was the spot I'd reserved for the show or if it was just a waiting area. Regardless, we set all our stuff down, including my expensive camera and a bunch of goodies we'd purchased as we wandered through the exhibition. Then I got a message through the fancy PDA I'd been given at check-in. There was a picture of Hai and a message from one of the hosts that read, "I want to ban him for life!" Apparently Hai had tried to get through to us but there was something wrong with his ticket, and the hosts were contacting me to let me know and ask if I did actually know him.
I couldn't figure out how to send a message back through the PDA. "I'd better go get Hai," I announced to the table. I started to gather up my things...but the others just got up and left without taking theirs! I was suddenly all alone at a table filled with belongings and rare items.
And then a huge family of panhandlers came up and surrounded the table.
"I'm sorry, I can't help you," I told them.
"Come on, we're starving." They were not starving; they looked well-fed and clothed. They may actually have lived inside the ginormous convention center.
"Good, good, but no," I said. When they kept it up, leaning in and gazing hungrily at all the stuff on the table, I shrieked, "SECURITY!"
They seemed to frighten off, but they only moved away about five feet to make sure security wasn't actually coming, and then came right back to hover over the table again.
"SECURITY!" I kept yelling. "Help, security, please!" But no one ever came. I knew that if I could just figure out how to use the stupid PDA, I could send a message that would get someone here to help...but if I looked down at the PDA, one of these people would make off with something from the table.
It was at this moment of crisis that I abruptly woke up.
The event was huge. We passed through a long hallway lined with high tech toys and geeky crafts we could buy. There were lots of paper art products that were packaged flat but you could unfold and put together into mathematical shapes and pop culture designs. And of course there were plenty of gadgets.
Once we were in the center proper, we saw that a giant cylindrical core ran the length of the building. It was extremely big, such that it was large enough to house several whales, who entertained us with their song as they swam up and down from floor to floor.
We walked around for a long time looking for our seats. I'd bought very good tickets. Finally we found the VIP check-in. It was a white table manned by a few guides and equipped with several videoconference machines, allowing the conference hosts to interact with us as we checked in. Koji Kondo was the one to take my ticket. "It's an honor to meet you, sir!" I told the little screen above the ticket scanner, and he smiled and bowed.
Brooke and her mom got distracted at one point trying to get the saber-toothed tiger to cooperate. It was fixated on an area near the top of the building that looked like a gas station. Meanwhile, Mom and I tried to go to the bathroom, but despite the sheer size of the place, the line was really long.
Finally we made it to a table. I'm not sure if it was the spot I'd reserved for the show or if it was just a waiting area. Regardless, we set all our stuff down, including my expensive camera and a bunch of goodies we'd purchased as we wandered through the exhibition. Then I got a message through the fancy PDA I'd been given at check-in. There was a picture of Hai and a message from one of the hosts that read, "I want to ban him for life!" Apparently Hai had tried to get through to us but there was something wrong with his ticket, and the hosts were contacting me to let me know and ask if I did actually know him.
I couldn't figure out how to send a message back through the PDA. "I'd better go get Hai," I announced to the table. I started to gather up my things...but the others just got up and left without taking theirs! I was suddenly all alone at a table filled with belongings and rare items.
And then a huge family of panhandlers came up and surrounded the table.
"I'm sorry, I can't help you," I told them.
"Come on, we're starving." They were not starving; they looked well-fed and clothed. They may actually have lived inside the ginormous convention center.
"Good, good, but no," I said. When they kept it up, leaning in and gazing hungrily at all the stuff on the table, I shrieked, "SECURITY!"
They seemed to frighten off, but they only moved away about five feet to make sure security wasn't actually coming, and then came right back to hover over the table again.
"SECURITY!" I kept yelling. "Help, security, please!" But no one ever came. I knew that if I could just figure out how to use the stupid PDA, I could send a message that would get someone here to help...but if I looked down at the PDA, one of these people would make off with something from the table.
It was at this moment of crisis that I abruptly woke up.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Blue Sky Kitchen
avocado and cheese.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Picture roundup
I wanted to link to some galleries I've posted in the last few months, to give blog readers an idea of what I've been up to.
Brick Pond Park and Alligator - September 22, 2009
Henderson Heritage Preserve - October 17, 2009
Work Halloween Party - October 22, 2009
Riverwalk - November 3, 2009
Aiken State Natural Area - November 7, 2009
Augusta Riverfront Marina and Skyline - November 9, 2009
Gasping Gobbler 5K - November 21, 2009
And there's more to come...
Brick Pond Park and Alligator - September 22, 2009
Henderson Heritage Preserve - October 17, 2009
Work Halloween Party - October 22, 2009
Riverwalk - November 3, 2009
Aiken State Natural Area - November 7, 2009
Augusta Riverfront Marina and Skyline - November 9, 2009
Gasping Gobbler 5K - November 21, 2009
And there's more to come...
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Run for it
Every so often after a workout, strong and accomplished during my cool-down, I'll feel the lean, toned, powerful, fit body beneath all the fat. This morning I felt it as I strode back up the hill from my 5K training--a muscled stomach pulling my pelvic bones forward as my legs carried me solidly back home--and I was glad that despite the chance of rain, and despite wondering if my legs might be too fatigued, I'd decided to run today.
I'm into week 6 of Running Mate Media's 5K 101 training program. This week consists of two 12-minute intervals of jogging each day. Last week I did three eight-minute intervals, and next week I'll jump to three 12-minute intervals.
It has seemed during this program that Mondays, the first of three days of training, are always the easiest. Even though Mondays always involve a leap in intensity, I tend to feel energized throughout and almost overconfident when they're over. By Friday, I can still do the workout, but there's less excitement and more fatigue.
On Mondays, I've typically had two days of rest between training sessions. I usually try to go for a long walk or hike on Saturdays, but while that does work my legs, it doesn't have the same impact as running. Sunday is my rest day, and I don't work out at all. On Wednesdays and Fridays, of course, there's only been one day of rest in between runs, and I've had cardio and strength training on those "rest" days. It's possible that the continued effort begins to wear on me by the end of the week, and so the two-day break is what makes Mondays seem so easy.
However, this Saturday I actually participated in a 5K. It took about 50 minutes, so that's roughly an average of 3.7mph, and I believe we ran about half of it, which is about the same amount of running I'd done on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This essentially means I had an extra day of running training last week...but yet again, today, Monday, I felt comfortable and confident and not at all overwhelmed by the jump to two 12-minute intervals.
I don't want to discount the rest theory entirely, especially since I did have a day of utter rest after the 5K, but I think there may be another reason I feel fatigued towards the end of the week: boredom. I've never been the type to handle monotony well. By the time Friday rolls around, I have the music and the cues memorized, so it's not as exciting as it is on Monday, when everything's new to me. That may cause me to be more aware of how my body is feeling and less able to focus on the music or my pace or breathing.
Fortunately, so far I haven't gotten so bored by the end of the week that I've given up. I've made it through each week of the 5K 101 program without stopping to walk when I'm supposed to be running, which means I haven't had to repeat a week at all. I'm not sure I would have been that successful if there were more than three identical runs in a row, though.
The 5K 101 program only has eight weeks in it. Next week I'll bump up to three 12-minute intervals, and the following week I'll be running for a full half hour. That last week seems like quite the jump, but then, so does next week. I'm not sure how it'll go, but I'm excited to find out.
I've been surprised at how long I've stuck with this training. I always hated running when I was younger. I'd get shin splints and stitches in my side within five minutes, and I'd be gasping and out of breath, and it always made me feel like a loser. I'm not sure what changed, other than perhaps I'm not trying to run so fast so soon. My pace is actually rather slow...but rather than worrying about that, I'm focusing on meeting the goal of completing this training program. Once this one's over, I'll find a new one to do--there are many running resources online now, available in iPhone applications and podcasts.
My running has jumpstarted my weight loss and fitness efforts, which had been stagnating since last Thanksgiving. I think having a real goal and a timeline and a guide through each step has truly helped, now that I'm beyond the point of simply becoming active. I hope to keep this momentum up through the rest of the 5K 101 program and whatever other systems I decide to try.
I'm into week 6 of Running Mate Media's 5K 101 training program. This week consists of two 12-minute intervals of jogging each day. Last week I did three eight-minute intervals, and next week I'll jump to three 12-minute intervals.
It has seemed during this program that Mondays, the first of three days of training, are always the easiest. Even though Mondays always involve a leap in intensity, I tend to feel energized throughout and almost overconfident when they're over. By Friday, I can still do the workout, but there's less excitement and more fatigue.
On Mondays, I've typically had two days of rest between training sessions. I usually try to go for a long walk or hike on Saturdays, but while that does work my legs, it doesn't have the same impact as running. Sunday is my rest day, and I don't work out at all. On Wednesdays and Fridays, of course, there's only been one day of rest in between runs, and I've had cardio and strength training on those "rest" days. It's possible that the continued effort begins to wear on me by the end of the week, and so the two-day break is what makes Mondays seem so easy.
However, this Saturday I actually participated in a 5K. It took about 50 minutes, so that's roughly an average of 3.7mph, and I believe we ran about half of it, which is about the same amount of running I'd done on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This essentially means I had an extra day of running training last week...but yet again, today, Monday, I felt comfortable and confident and not at all overwhelmed by the jump to two 12-minute intervals.
I don't want to discount the rest theory entirely, especially since I did have a day of utter rest after the 5K, but I think there may be another reason I feel fatigued towards the end of the week: boredom. I've never been the type to handle monotony well. By the time Friday rolls around, I have the music and the cues memorized, so it's not as exciting as it is on Monday, when everything's new to me. That may cause me to be more aware of how my body is feeling and less able to focus on the music or my pace or breathing.
Fortunately, so far I haven't gotten so bored by the end of the week that I've given up. I've made it through each week of the 5K 101 program without stopping to walk when I'm supposed to be running, which means I haven't had to repeat a week at all. I'm not sure I would have been that successful if there were more than three identical runs in a row, though.
The 5K 101 program only has eight weeks in it. Next week I'll bump up to three 12-minute intervals, and the following week I'll be running for a full half hour. That last week seems like quite the jump, but then, so does next week. I'm not sure how it'll go, but I'm excited to find out.
I've been surprised at how long I've stuck with this training. I always hated running when I was younger. I'd get shin splints and stitches in my side within five minutes, and I'd be gasping and out of breath, and it always made me feel like a loser. I'm not sure what changed, other than perhaps I'm not trying to run so fast so soon. My pace is actually rather slow...but rather than worrying about that, I'm focusing on meeting the goal of completing this training program. Once this one's over, I'll find a new one to do--there are many running resources online now, available in iPhone applications and podcasts.
My running has jumpstarted my weight loss and fitness efforts, which had been stagnating since last Thanksgiving. I think having a real goal and a timeline and a guide through each step has truly helped, now that I'm beyond the point of simply becoming active. I hope to keep this momentum up through the rest of the 5K 101 program and whatever other systems I decide to try.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
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