Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Week 12 distance (SICK): 6mi (10km) Week 13 distance (SICK): 12mi (20km) Week 14 distance (LAZY): 7.5mi (12km) I went out for a run this morning to try to get back on track... and I still felt sluggish. Maybe I stretched out my preparations too long. Maybe I peaked too early. Maybe I'm just getting bored waiting for Race Weekend to finally arrive. I just haven't had any great-feeling runs for several weeks now, and it's hard to get inspired to get back out there.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
 Monteagle BagI saw the Monteagle Bag on Mason-Dixon two weeks ago and immediately downloaded the free pattern PDF. Then I filed it away in my brain and forgot about it. Last weekend, when I was supposed to be tidying up the house but really was procrastinating by digging around in my knitting wool, I found a single skein of Louet Euroflax linen. (I won it in the Knitty Calendar Contest a couple years back.) "Now why does that yarn ring a bell suddenly...?" Oh right! It's the one they used for the bag! I got to work. My linen is actually the worsted weight, which is twice as thick as the one in the pattern. No matter, it works just fine. It's just a lot sturdier. I used 6mm needles and managed to get one bag out of the 100g skein with a few meters to spare. The pattern is really ingenious, and I enjoyed figuring out how to do the new stitches. My bag didn't turn out quite as tall as theirs, so I added a few additional rows at the top to lengthen it. I made the strap long so it could be slung diagonally across the body. I "blocked" it by hanging it up overnight with a dictionary inside to stretch it out. It's a great little project! (More details are on Ravelry, and there's a closeup after the jump.) [more...]
Thursday, September 25, 2008
[more...] Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Week 11 distance: 26mi (42km) Week 12 distance (SICK): 6mi (10km) Week 13 distance (SICK): 12mi (20km) The good news is, I'm just about fully recovered! I went out for a 6K run this morning and, though my legs are still a little sore from the hills, I was surprisingly speedy. This is meant to be my last hard week before the Half, and I'm scheduled for a 17-miler on the weekend. (I may break that up over two days though.) Then next week I'm officially tapering.
Monday, September 22, 2008
"There's a reason "American Idol" gets such high ratings. People identify with the contestants. They think, Hey, that could be me up there on that show! My problem is, I don't want to be up there. I don't want a vice president who is darned near good enough. I want a vice president who is better, wiser, well-traveled, has met world leaders, who three months ago had an opinion on Iraq. Someone who doesn't repeat bald-faced lies about earmarks and the Bridge to Nowhere. Someone who doesn't appoint Alaskan politicians to "study" global warming, because, hello! It has been studied. ... I would also want someone who didn't make a teeny little sneer when referring to "people who go to the Ivy League." ... There a lot of hockey moms who haven't seen London, but most of them would probably love to, if they had the dough. And they'd be proud if one of their kids won a scholarship to Harvard."EXACTLY. Exactly exactly exactly. When did we start thinking it was a bad thing for our leaders to be educated and informed?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Snook and I headed to Milson's Point early this morning to join the crowd of 12,000 at the starting line our third consecutive Bridge Run. (Last year's post.) Miss Fee and Emily the Car were amongst the throng as well, though we didn't find them til later. Snookums and I felt pretty good. We started off and began the climb up onto the Bridge. It was a gorgeous day, with fluffy clouds that quickly gave way to the sun. We weren't going terribly fast - just shy of a 7:00 kilometer - but I felt like I could go for a while. We slowed to a walk for the first water stop, then sped back up again into the Domain. We passed the 5K mark at just about 35:00. The sun was getting hotter though, and both of us were getting thirsty. We were relieved to make it to the second water stop, only to be disappointed when there were no cups left. (A volunteer was doing what he could with a dribbling hose, but it wasn't nearly enough. BAD RACE ORGANISATION.) So we wasted a minute or so there NOT getting water. Then it was the hilly bit of the Domain, and both of us were fighting stitches. I made it up the annoying little hill that I had to walk last year, which was gratifying. We made a quick detour at the Art Gallery to hit a water fountain. Then it was all downhill to the finish line. I could tell we weren't going to make it in an hour, but I thought I could maybe improve on last year. According to the time that they later SMSed to me (1:02:34), I shaved about 20 seconds off last year's time. So not a huge PB, but I'll take it. Afterwards we met up with Em and Fee and Emily's partner Clare (who finished her first half-marathon in the awesome time of 2:09!). Hooray for all the finishers! We did good work on a hot day. Later in the afternoon, all the runners and their associated partners - as well as Rob, Amy, Bex, and Fin - met up at our place for a barbecue. We had lamb sausages, steak kebabs, Snookums's magic chicken, my jewelled couscous, and lots of lovely sweets and drinks from the guests. Greeeeaaat way to end a beautiful summery day...
Woman: Hi, this is Channel 9. How can I help you? Me: I'd like to make a complaint about one of your shows. Her: I can take your complaint. What is it? Me: It's about your new show Fringe. I was really looking forward to seeing the show and I was glad it came out so soon here. I watched the show and really enjoyed it, so I was just reading about it online and discovered that there were several scenes that were MISSING in the version that was broadcast here. And I just think that if you're going to heavily advertise that a show has been "fast-tracked straight from the US" because you don't want people to download it off the Internet, then you shouldn't give us a chopped up version! I mean, one of the scenes that was cut was the one that actually EXPLAINED THE TITLE OF THE SHOW. Her: Thanks for that. I'll pass it along. I hope I enlivened her night, anyway. So how friggin' annoying is that? I actually did enjoy the show, but there were some confusing plot gaps that I didn't quite understand. I figured it was just because it was all X-Files-y. I mean, they didn't even explain the title! And where did my sister get "astral projection" from anyway? (I mean, that's clearly what they did with the LSD tank thing, but it was never mentioned by name.) So I decide to check out the TWOP recap and see if I missed anything... when I come across FOUR PARAGRAPHS that I don't remember. "Huh, that's odd." So I go back to the TiFaux and play the episode again. Nope. Cuts right from Pacey saying "When do we leave?" to the door opening at the mental ward. ARGH. And now that I'm reading further, I'm finding more stuff. We also didn't see Olivia get shot up with the drugs before she goes into the tank. So thanks, Channel 9. I was actually getting excited about watching Heroes without having to download it, but you'll probably cut bits out of that too. YOU SUCK. Addendum: Kunaal has just pointed out that Heroes is on Channel 7. Whatever. I still don't trust any of them now.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
"But this April, Republicans in the Senate blocked it. Now, Democrats in the Senate are working to bring Lilly’s bill back for another vote this fall. My husband is a proud supporter of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Senator McCain does not support it. In fact, Senator McCain said that what women really need is more education and training. But Lilly Ledbetter had plenty of training. What she doesn’t have is the right to fight for the pay she deserves."My Grandma worked in a tire plant for years and years. I wonder how much money she lost to discrimination. But I suppose she deserved it, on account of not having enough education and training, right? Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Week 10 distance: 11mi (18km) Week 11 distance: 26mi (42km) Week 12 distance: 6mi (10km) That's disappointing. I gave myself an extra day to recover after the 15-miler, and I did short easy runs on Wednesday and Friday. Then I got sick and didn't do anything on the weekend. So far this week I walked two miles on both Monday and Tuesday (to the city for my class), and then today I ventured out for a run. I'm happy to report that my legs, back, and lungs are all in good shape. I've been coughing a little, but that seems to be solely related to the mucus in my head. So I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about the Bridge Run on Sunday. My dream goal would be to finish the 9K in under an hour, but I'd settle for just running the whole thing without stopping.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Since I had nothing better to do on Sunday than lie in bed and read while the Snook fetched me warming drinks - sometimes being sick is okay - I finally finished off a book I started back in L.A.: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. It's a fascinating piece of historical narrative. Larson weaves together the true story of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with the shocking tale of H. H. Holmes, America's first serial killer, who prowled the Fair for his victims. I was surprised at all the other notable "firsts" that premiered at the Fair: Shredded Wheat, hamburgers, Juicy Fruit gum, the Ferris Wheel (which was America's answer to the Eiffel Tower, and seriously, how awesome is that?!), Aunt Jemima pancake mix, and best of all... squished pennies. Beyond the pleasures of the Midway though (which was a term also coined at the Fair), Larson succeeds at evoking the beautiful yet melancholy mood of the Exposition. With its dazzling white neoclassical buildings shining under Tesla's electric bulbs, the "White City" was an ideal and a dream that lasted less than six months. That's why I was so surprised to realize that I've actually been inside the only two buildings that remain: the former Palace of Fine Arts (now the Museum of Science and Industry) and the former World's Congress Auxiliary Building (now the Art Institute of Chicago). If you're a lover of Chicago - or history, or true crime - you should definitely pick up this book. It's compulsive reading. Sunday, September 14, 2008
 Doma Bohemian Beer CafeI must have subconsciously known I was getting sick on Friday, because as the day rolled to a close I started craving some real sustenance. MEAT. After a quick perusal of Grab Your Fork and a chat with the Snook, I booked us in at Doma Bohemian Beer Cafe. As soon as we saw the menu, there was really only one option: "Bohemian Platter for Two." Half a roast duck, chicken schnitzel, pork schnitzel, two types of dumplings, smoked pork loin, roasted pork neck, cheese kranskis, red cabbage, and sauerkraut. I mean, HOW COULD YOU NOT? It was pretty daunting when they brought the enormous platter out though. Folks, we barely made a dent in this thing. (It could easily serve three or even four people.) We had our pig, we had our excellent Czech beer, and we took the leftovers home in a box. It was an excellent way to end the week.
 KIP UpdateMy knitting mojo seems to have returned! I realized that the Rhiannons were just sapping my will to knit, so I officially moved them into the "to be frogged" pile. I feel so rejuvenated. I've got two new projects on the needles, both for the Snook. The first are these socks using Cascade Fixation. The pattern is Ann Budd's "Flame Wave Socks" from Interweave's Favorite Socks, which I've modified to use a contrasting colour on the heel and toe. (I'm actually thinking of picking up and adding some ribbing to the top in the red as well.) I couldn't find my long 4mm circular at the time, so I actually was FORCED to knit one sock at a time! Ugh. I hate Second Sock Sydrome. (That's why I've only got one done.)  Next is a very special commission and co-design for the Snook. We're calling it "Blockhead"... for the obvious reason. I was interested to try knitting with a cotton/wool blend (especially since they're more suited to Sydney's climate), so I organized a group order on Ravelry to import some Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. It was a very special morning last week when this arrived! I am LOVING this yarn. It's 80% cotton and 20% merino, and it comes in a zillion colours. It knits up as an 8-ply, but it's not nearly as splitty or heavy as a normal 100% cotton. I'm using the same pattern I used for the long-sleeved orange polo. Snookums graphed the zig-zag himself, and I've knitted it in using intarsia. I've actually been knitting both the front and the back flat at the same time (that's the other piece bunched up on the right). Once I get to the armpits I'll join up the sleeves and do the raglan shoulders in the round. I can't wait to see him actually wear it!Saturday, September 13, 2008
Update: It got canceled! There was a tornado watch and the organizers called it off. What a let-down. She's going to sign up for another one next month.
ARGGHHHH. Remember how I got sick two weeks before the Sydney Half-marathon? I've done it again, four weeks before the Melbourne Half. THIS SUCKS. Presumably my final long runs are stressing my immune system to the point where I get susceptible to bugs. I had two nice easy recovery runs this week, but Friday I noticed myself feeling headachey at work. By the time I got home Friday night, there was a definite sore throat happening. Today I feel stuffy and muzzy-headed, and my left ear is popping. (I should just get my tonsils cut out already.) So I'm doing the whole vitamin C and garlic thing again - the Snook made bagna cauda for dinner - and trying to take it easy. It's just really frustrating that it's happened again. I've got the 9K Bridge Run next Sunday, and my goal for that had been to run the whole thing without stopping. Then I've got three weeks til the race, during which I was planning on doing one more long run. Maybe that one will have to get shelved. I keep telling myself that taking a few days off doesn't result in much fitness lost, but the runner side of my brain is having a hard time staying optimistic (especially when the lazy side is going "Woohoo! An excuse to be a big lazy failure!"). And the worst bit? I'm doing a fancy expensive four-day training course for work starting Monday, so I can't even really have a proper sick day...
Friday, September 12, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The best way to break in a new T-shirt is to go for a run in it...  I do love the shirt, but I don't think I'll do any more running in it. I've been spoiled by the few "technical" shirts that I have, and now I just can't stand training in something with seams and a tag. So I think this one will go into general wardrobe rotation. That's probably best in terms of visibility, since on most of my runs there aren't that many people up and about. Wednesday, September 10, 2008
I was actually just saying to the Snook recently that my #1 wished-for feature in a media player is the ability to make playlists that are musically similar. There are plenty of services on the web that can say "If you like artist X, you'll probably like artist Y," but I wanted the ability to go, "I'm in the mood for jangly upbeat folk pop songs. Play me some of that."* Imagine my surprise today to see that this is a major feature of the new iTunes! You highlight a song in your library and click a special button, and it creates a "Genius" playlist of things that are similar. I've been playing with it all day and so far it seems to work pretty well. I selected a Del Amitri song (the aforementioned jangly pop) and I got lots of other things in the same sort of vein. It worked pretty well with a Cure song too. The only moment of FAIL so far was when I used XTC's "Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" as the basis. Somehow the fourth song on the playlist ended up being "Alfie" by Cilla Black! I really want to see the algorithm that produced that oddity. * And no, using the "genre" tag in iTunes to make a smart playlist doesn't really work. You can't have more than one genre on a song, so you'd have to be REALLY SPECIFIC in your tag. Not to mention the fact that there are still thousands of songs in our library with missing or incorrect genres...
Snook: Tippecanoe's mate. Five letters. Me: Oh, I think he was an Indian! Try SQUAW. Snook: Nah, that Q doesn't look so good there. Me: Wait! "Tippecanoe and Tyler too!" It's TYLER! Snook: What the hell does that mean? Me: I have no idea. It just popped into my head. I think it may have been some historical political slogan. Maybe Tyler refers to the President? But I'm pretty sure Tippecanoe was an Indian; there's a lake named after him in Indiana. Snook: "Tippy-canoe?" Isn't that like "Why-kick-a-moo-cow?" Me: What?! Snook: It's a place in New Zealand. That's what it's called. Well, upon further research, we were both half-right and half-wrong. "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" was a political song, but Tippecanoe actually referred to William Henry Harrison, the hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe. I can find no reference online to an actual Native American named Tippecanoe, so maybe it was just a local place name. As for this town in New Zealand, it does exist... sorta. It's actually Waikikamukau, and it's a slang term for a small town out in the middle of nowhere. (The Kiwi term for "BFE", if you will.) Monday, September 8, 2008
Week 9 distance: 21.65mi (34.7km) Week 10 distance: 11mi (18km) Week 11 distance: 26mi (42km) So I had about a 20% increase from my last long-distance week, which is exactly what I was supposed to have. I feel surprisingly good today. My legs are a little sore, but it's nowhere near as bad as I expected. I'm really impressed with how quickly my body is able to recover from these stresses. (But don't worry; I'm still going to take it easy this week.) I'm also happy to report that I've lost six pounds since my return from the US! Granted, most of that was weight that I put on while I was there, but it's nice to see things moving in the right direction again. I'd really love to lose some more before the race next month. Sunday, September 7, 2008
According to my training schedule, I'm meant to do a 15-mile run today. That's 24km. That's two miles farther than the actual half-marathon. I was debating pushing it back a week just to give my quad injury a little extra time to heal... but it's been feeling good, and I plan on taking a lot of walk-breaks. I'll take some cash and my bus pass in case of emergency. I plotted a route and, man, I'm going to be covering a lot of ground. I bought a hydration belt yesterday so I can easily carry water and energy gel with me. I'm kinda looking forward to this! 3.5 hours later: Holy crap. I did it. That's the longest run I've EVER done. I accidentally stopped the iPod workout twice, so it got recorded in three segments. All up, the total was 24.87km (15.45mi). It took me 186.5 minutes, which is just over three hours. My new hydration belt was BRILLIANT and I'm so glad I had it. I had prepared over the previous 24 hours by loading up on water with Endura, and I filled my four little bottles with it as well. I had a Gu "Vanilla Bean" pack 15 minutes before I started, and I took three more at the 45, 100, and 145 minute marks. (The packs fit so nice in the little pouch on my belt!) Okay, so the run itself... [more...] Friday, September 5, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Okay, how do we feel about PR companies targeting blogs? I've been approached by a couple PR people in the past few months, and I'm feeling rather conflicted about it. Here, I'll describe the two cases so you can see what I mean:
Anyway, I figured I'd at least put the issue out there, rather than be tempted to secretly sell out without telling anybody...
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Week 8 distance: 12.25mi (19.6km) Week 9 distance: 21.65mi (34.7km) Week 10 distance: 11mi (18km) After really pushing it last week, I had a planned cut-back week to recover. My lower back pain has returned a little bit, which is probably due to me NOT doing the stretches and exercises the physio gave me. (Yes, I suck, and I'm going to start again.) I may go see him again if I can't resolve it on my own. Other than that, I've got the usual litany of minor running ailments: a couple niggling pains in my shins and knees, and a slightly tender hamstring. More worrisome is the sudden pain I felt at the top of my right quad as I was finishing my 45-minute run this morning. I put anti-inflammatory gel on it, and I'll be doing some icing tonight. It hasn't bothered me at all while walking, so I don't think I've hurt it too badly. I just have to hang in there for five more weeks...
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
And by the way, what a crappy article! It doesn't even mention the name of the new book which apparently prompted the piece. If I was the author, I'd be annoyed. |
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archives
You can search through the archives by post keyword using the form on the left, or you can browse by month using the links at the bottom.
"Moblog" refers to posts and images posted directly from my mobile phone.
"PW Blog" refers to posts recovered from my very first weblog, which dealt with news related to my college dorm. |
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