Happy Birthday - one day late

Happy Birthday Matt!

Sorry I didn't post this yesterday, the day of your actual birthday. I hope you had a wonderful day, and make this a great year!

the 2006 SELF challenge

Every year the magazine "Self" has a fitness/diet challenge. For 3 months you make a commitment to eat better, do exercise (cardio and strength), ie. be healthy. Last year I tried to do it but had to stop when I sprained my ankle.

I'm trying it again this year. I started last thursday, and I've already done some things I shouldn't have, but I am trying not to dwell on those. Self has a food diary for each person you can log everything you eat, and a workout log to log your exercise. They also calculate approximate calories burned for each workout. I like that it isn't a quick fix, nor does it promise results for doing nothing. If anyone wants to do it with me, there is a place where you can list your 'challenge' buddies and you can look and see their progress, and in that way, you keep each other accountable.

I'm feeling pretty good about my progress today. I had a yummy spinach salad for lunch and then took the 2nd part of my lunch hour to go for a walk with some co-workers. It was a good combination. I'd like to do it more often. As the weather gets nicer, it will be even easier to go for a walk after lunch.

our little sock fiend

Cute little maggie. She is a sock fiend. We give her old socks to carry around and get dirty, but occasionally she digs one out of the laundry basket. We usually realize she's gone digging b/c the sock in her mouth is totally white and clean.

Occassionally we like to mess around, like in this picture where we put the sock on her snout and then had her focus on one of her toys. She didn't bother to get the sock off b/c she was so focused on her toy. You can tell she's interested in something because her ears are sort of perked up in this picture. She's so cute.

already wednesday?

I guess that is what happens when monday is a holiday. I have a feeling that the next two days will go quickly.

I've been working on one of my infamous 'lists'. Every once in a while I start to feel overwhelmed, and like I can't hold onto any idea in my head, and so I start a list, so I don't have to worry about remembering everything. Well, the current list has been sitting on the kitchen table for about 2 weeks. Not until this past weekend did two things get checked off. 1-bath for maggie and 2-finish taxes.

I have to say, I completed 3 more things on the list today. Two of them were just making appointments at places, but still! I may go home to find only 1 or 2 things left on the list. And I know that one of them is actually a David list item.

I'm not sure if it is the weather or what, but I've been really sluggish all week. I've had an especially hard time waking up at my normal time, and I don't really feel 'awake' most of the day. I think I've also just got alot of things I'm thinking about that are overwhelming me. Trying to deal with all these issues really makes me tired! But I haven't given up quite yet. Actually, I don't plan on giving up anytime soon.

submitted!

I just submitted the conference paper I've been furiously working on for the past two weeks. Yea!!! I may have to revise after I get comments back, but this stage is D-O-N-E, done.

Now I'll get started on some revisions for an NSF grant proposal due next friday.

Yesterday I was walking back from the College of Engineering office, and noticed some of the cherry trees are starting to blossom. Beautiful pink petals. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed them before---I keep telling myself that they opened up overnight, and it isn't that I've just been so wrapped up in my own little world that I didn't notice them until now.

But, that is probably what the problem was. I've got to peek out from under my cocoon sometimes!

Happy Birthday Carolyn!

It's yo' birthday
Ya gonna party like its yo' birthday?

Hope you have a good one today! I remember you telling me about a tradition in your family related to calling very early on birthdays. I hope that tradition still occurs. It sounds like a fun one.

happy v-day

I would like to wish everyone a happy valentine's day.

In honor of V-day, I'd like to tell you about a dream I had. (Actually, I just want to tell the dream, it really doesn't have anything to do with V-day)

Underwater logging is the way of the future. Somewhere in the depths of the ocean, previously undiscovered, are whole forests of trees. These trees can be harvested for our needs in the future, and they grow back quickly, providing a renewable resource. Additionally, the ground/sand that the trees grow in (in the depths of the ocean), is full of minerals and special compounds that will help us to cure disease and provide new treatments for old problems.

I couldn't stop laughing writing that paragraph. What a crazy idea for me to dream about! But in case it ever happens--You heard it here first!

make up your gosh darn mind--and a birthday wish

Happy Birthday Will (Mr. Litzler)! Today is his birthday, and I'd like to wish him a wonderful birthday DAY, and a fabulous year.

As for the other title section: This weather is driving me nuts today. This morning it was gray and spitting rain. By the time I got to work, the sun had come out and the sky was blue. I thought maybe we would get lucky enough to have blue skies the rest of the day....but Now we're back to gray and spitting rain.

And another thing...is there really that little going on in my life that I have to talk about the weather? Well, I have to say that the weather does influence me and my mood, and so I can't help but mention it sometimes.

daffodils

This morning on my walk to school from the bus, I saw a daffodil. I had already seen the crocus coming up, but hadn't seen any in bloom, but this daffodil was definitely in bloom. We've had a few days of sunshine and temp's in the mid 50's; so I guess that was enough for this little daffodil to think it was okay to come out. I love the first flowers after winter.

I don't think I ever noticed things like that before a few years ago. Have I become sentimental? It seems like it means so much, seeing the first flowers after winter. I can't help but smile at the brave ones who dare to poke their heads out.

In other news, I have been swamped at work. Thus, the reason for few posts this week. I have a conference paper due next friday, and the database guy just got me the data yesterday to do my analysis. And I still had to pull the data out of access to put into spss. I'm thinking that I'll be working this weekend for sure. Otherwise, I'll be seriously stressed all next week.

pics to share

I just wanted to share some pictures I took yesterday morning on a walk to Fremont in the morning. It was around 7:50 am when these pictures were taken. The sun was just coming up.

The hustle and bustle of cars crossing the Fremont bridge.



A serene and beautiful morning. The rowers probably felt funny being photographed, but oh well. The big bridge you see is the Aurora Bridge, and I'm standing on the Fremont Bridge. Lots of bridges to cross all this water! See--the sun does shine here!

Dog and Pony Show

Today, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is defending the legality of Dubya’s domestic spying program, and he’s doing so without being sworn in under oath. That means he’s free to say anything he pleases without fear of legal repercussions… in other words, he can lie to Congress and America and we’re expected to accept his testimony as truthful and factual.

Let me ask you all this, what is the point of Senate hearings that do not guarantee a shred of truth? Why wouldn’t you want Congress and America to have confidence in the truth of your words? If there’s nothing to hide, if the program is legal as the Bushies insist, if they want to demonstrate to America that they are NOT corrupt, then put our minds at ease by saying so under oath. Make your words mean something!

This hearing is a joke, but it’s business as usual for the Bush administration. They pulled the same crap when Exxon and Chevron executives testified during the 2005 Senate hearing on big oil price gouging that led to the largest corporate profits in world history. The execs too were liberated from the burden of truth by not being placed under oath. Why? Wouldn’t you like to know?

These hearings are a dog and pony show, and nothing more. Their sole purpose is to enable the Bushies to say, “You got your hearing. We investigated OURSELVES and found nothing wrong or improper (surprise, surprise). Now sit down and shut up.” It’s ridiculous and disgusting. How does anyone believe or trust this administration? They need to answer the questions, and they need to do so under oath.

going to watch the game

We don't get the channel the Super Bowl is being broadcast on, so we are going over to our neighbor's condo to watch the game.

The odds are against us, as first time Bowl 'go-ers'. Truth is, I don't really care. I think it would be great if we win, but just the excitement of the Super Bowl has energized the city. That is the best part, I think.

We watched two good movies this weekend, both of which are nominated in some way for the Oscars. The first was "hustle and flow" . It was a great movie--had moments of laughter and seriousness and sadness etc. I'd recommend it. We also rented "Murderball" which is a documentary about quadripilegic rugby players who play in the olympics. All the hype about that movie is true too...it will dispel some myths about people in wheelchairs, and was just a really well done documentary. You would not believe the violence they put those chairs through. It is like football/bumper-cars in wheelchairs.

Time to leave work and go eat chips/veggies and dip, cheese, guacamole, etc. I love the food that goes with the super bowl. We aren't even really doing it up with wings, queso, and all the other things, but this will be a treat.

at least we got in the record books

This past january was the third-wettest month on record, with 11.65 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. The wettest month on record: January 1953, with 12.92 inches. The second-rainiest was December 1979, with 11.85 inches.


see chart below (if you can read it)

worse than i thought

hand much more swollen today
sausage fingers
can't type
will call doc
hurts more

kiss my boo-boo?

This morning on my walk with Maggie she got scared by the sound of a garbage can scraping across the sidewalk. It was pretty much blocking the sidewalk so I was moving it off the sidewalk. She bolted when she got scared--and I mean bolted. Not just pulling, but full out running. I suppose I could/should have let go of the leash, but I was afraid she would run away and I guess part of me thought I could stop her.

That's one strong doggie. She pulled me over. In my slow motion fall to the ground (amazing how much can go through your mind in those few seconds), my first thought was--Damn it! I better not get my pants dirty--these are good work pants! So in my attempt to save my pants, I landed on my hand/wrist, and bent it backward pretty far. By this point I had let go of the leash, and maggie was running back to me and trying to jump on me like she does when she is nervous. Again making me worry about the nice work pants. The wrist hurt. I blinked back tears and walked her home (with the leash in my other hand).

It really isn't that bad of a sprain/strain. I still have movement, and the swelling is minimal. Of course I have been following RICE religiously. I immediately iced it when I got home, David went and bought an Ace bandage for compression, and I'm trying not to use that hand for weight bearing activities. Typing doesn't hurt too much, but writing with a pen does. I've been icing at work, and trying to keep it elevated as much as possible (any time I'm not typing). I'm sure it will be fine in a few days.

FYI--the pants turned out fine--not a speck of dirt on them!

nano nano nano

As I'm working on a project at work related to nanotechnology, I thought I would put a question out there for all my readers that might help me with my work...(Deb- you know all about this!)

How many popular movies, books, tv shows, etc. can you name that deal with nanotechnology in some way? What are they?

For those of you not "in the know", Nanotechnology deals with things on the nano-scale which is a little larger than the size of individual atoms. A nanometer, one billionth of a meter, is about 10,000 times narrower than a human hair. ps--I wasn't 'in the know' until just a few months ago-so don't feel bad.

Here are a few ideas to start you off:
Prey by Michael Crichton
Spiderman 2
The Stepford Wives (newest release)

c'mon--now use your abundant knowledge of popular culture to help me come up with movies!

Time for taxes!

I think we have finally received everything we need to do our taxes. It seems that every year we do them, some new wrinkle, or complication comes up. Last year it was the first year we really had mortgage interest deductions. This year, we refinanced, and we have to deal with both of our workplace savings programs (last year we only had D's plan).

Call me weird, but I always get energized to do my taxes. I have no desire to wait to the last minute to do them. I want to do them now and get them out of the way so I can hopefully get the refund that is coming to me/us. I suppose as they get more and more complicated my energy might lag a bit. I know Dad always puts them off for awhile b/c they are so cumbersome.

Things I need to do some more research on...the AMT, simple-ira's....and there was something else, but I can't remember now.

Happy 30th Sweetie!

Now that you are an old man...your cake will start to look like this one!

As long as you don't start to look like the old man ;-)

Love you lots sweetie! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and birthday weekend. Because let's face it...when your birthday is on a friday, you get the whole weekend to celebrate.

And celebrate we will! We've got Ellen's Eggs Mornay on the menu for saturday breakfast, and then a fun day to do whatever you want.

Unfortunately, David is feeling under the weather today on his birthday. It may be the flu since his co-worker had it and refused to stay home from work. Here is a quote from David from this morning, "If this is what getting old feels like, I don't want to get old".

Decaf…I said DECAF!!!

What is it with coffeeshops in Seattle acting like decaf does not exist?

This morning I met a prospective RA at a coffee shop at 9 am. I ordered a decaf mocha. I do this all the time. Even with the small amount of caffeine in a decaf and in the chocolate it doesn't usually affect me. They made the mocha. I drank the mocha. It was a good mocha.

About 30 minutes later, I was feeling a little light-headed, and was shaky. But I got a lot done at work. The room started spinning. I was talking extra fast and thinking even faster. I was making lots of mistakes typing. I was doing 5 things at once.

hmmm...it seemed like the symptoms of a caffeine high.

But I said decaf!

I admit it. I'm caffeine sensitive. Most of you know that. Most of you would laugh at me on a caffeine high. But here it is, 3:10 pm and I'm still shaky, still moving a mile a minute, and my stomach is starting to hurt. I don't like the general symptoms of a caffeine high, but I especially don't like the stomach pain symptom. When will this stuff wear off? I had better be able to sleep tonight!

My co-worker suggested that I will probably crash early this evening. With the way I feel right now, I can't imagine crashing ever.

This has happened to me before at a coffeeshop. I asked for decaf, sat down to read some Durkheim, and when I got up to get a refill on my drip decaf coffee, and asked them for a refill on drip decaf, they said " oh- we don't believe in Decaf". What!? You don't BELIEVE in decaf? No wonder my knee was bouncing like there was no tomorrow. You'd think they could have told me that with my first cup- I would have ordered herbal tea!

Seriously- I hate this feeling. While I appreciate the productivity, it is not worth it.

I really don't want to have to give up ordering fun decaf coffee drinks. I live in the city of coffee. Do I really have to repeat myself each time I order decaf. Do I have to act like the baristas are stupid? Do I have to say, "I'd like a tall nonfat decaf mocha please. It is very important that it is decaf"

I will continue to trust the local barista for now. But if this starts to happen more often, you'd better believe I will start repeating myself.

more fun with animals

Here is a new "fun with animals" straight from David's creative mind. Makes me laugh.

Can I get you a napkin?

No, I'm good... thanks.