Eating: I had some cereal in the caf
Drinking: nothing
Listening: Satie
I have been here for an hour and a half, but I don't have much to show for it. I had an insane weekend, with the parents visiting and lots of cooking to do for the Rosh Hashanah dinner we are hosting. I did manage to run the whole Prospect Park loop yesterday (3.3 miles) but that was the only exercise that happened. I am today surprisingly sore from the experience - it's so important to stretch, and I haven't been doing it regularly. Another interesting thing is that I feel really weak in the legs, which shouldn't be the case. I can't remember if I walked up the stairs for food or not.
Yesterday I worked like a goddamned machine, though. I just sat down and gave 'er. My mom was around (watching the LM - the others had gone to the store) and I expected her to talk too much and make it impossible to get anything done, but she did just the opposite. I clearly need to set up some kind of strategy with SWMBO whereby she doesn't call out to me every three minutes about some irrelevant task she needs me to do when I am working. Another thing is that my mom didn't resent the fact that I was working instead of helping her with the dishes.
My dream last night included a vision of Westmount with another mountain behind it, quite tall and steep and also covered with houses, so close that if felt like I could touch it, but with a deep valley between me and it. I was surprised that it was there - I had never noticed it after all those years in Montreal - but I felt like it was something I had dreamed about before.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
I Still Got It
Eating: yet another Chop't salad
Drinking: agua
Listening: Serge G, nuit d'octobre
Just got back from the gym, where I walked 30' at 3.2 (15 incline, of course) and did pushups (10 8 6 6) with my feet on the extra large ball. The pushups felt good, and I went to pretty much the point of exhaustion. A little annoyed to be in some kind of Groundhog Day situation w/r/t pushups - permanently stuck on the last day of the 100 pushups program. Oh well. I felt strong.
I am having weird feelings in the bottom of my foot, specifically in the big toe part of the ball of my left foot. Still very worried about pronation. I need to remember to keep it nice and slow for now. I just found this stretching program, which is great, but I need to actually do it, and that is not going to be easy. Of course, nothing is easy.
I am finally reading the Vimalakirti sutra (the Thurman translation, from Tibetan, which is supposedly a truer version than Xuantang or Kumarijiva) and I have to say I find the discursive Indian sutra style very annoying. Why is it annoying? It is annoying because it is repetitive. Why is it repetitive? It is repetitive because even if the bhagavan repeated the dharma more times than there are grains of sand in all the jewel-encrusted universes of the trillion brahmas and indras, some people would still totally miss the point. God, I don't even have the energy to diss this book. I need caffeine. I don't have any water here, so it becomes a production. BK has an espresso machine but he has other shit that he needs to do. Oh well.
Drinking: agua
Listening: Serge G, nuit d'octobre
Just got back from the gym, where I walked 30' at 3.2 (15 incline, of course) and did pushups (10 8 6 6) with my feet on the extra large ball. The pushups felt good, and I went to pretty much the point of exhaustion. A little annoyed to be in some kind of Groundhog Day situation w/r/t pushups - permanently stuck on the last day of the 100 pushups program. Oh well. I felt strong.
I am having weird feelings in the bottom of my foot, specifically in the big toe part of the ball of my left foot. Still very worried about pronation. I need to remember to keep it nice and slow for now. I just found this stretching program, which is great, but I need to actually do it, and that is not going to be easy. Of course, nothing is easy.
I am finally reading the Vimalakirti sutra (the Thurman translation, from Tibetan, which is supposedly a truer version than Xuantang or Kumarijiva) and I have to say I find the discursive Indian sutra style very annoying. Why is it annoying? It is annoying because it is repetitive. Why is it repetitive? It is repetitive because even if the bhagavan repeated the dharma more times than there are grains of sand in all the jewel-encrusted universes of the trillion brahmas and indras, some people would still totally miss the point. God, I don't even have the energy to diss this book. I need caffeine. I don't have any water here, so it becomes a production. BK has an espresso machine but he has other shit that he needs to do. Oh well.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Back from the Desert
Eating: tilapia with 'wild' (oyster) mushrooms and Israeli couscous from the caf
Listening: Yagi Michiyo
Drinking: last of the Kunming 98
So, back from Sedona and the GC. The wedding was wonderful. I walked a lot, ran once, did not meditate, and did no work. The hammer is about to fall on the China thing - I have to produce today. I ran/walked exclusively in the FFs, and they were great, even on the sharp rocks in Sedona. The whole experience made me want to run ten miles a day. The GC was especially inspiring. We took the Little Monster down to mile 1.5 on the Bright Angel trail. The walk back up was a snap, I think the whole thing took us about 2.5 hrs. In retrospect we could have gone farther. The LM was a dream for the whole trip, but especially on the hikes - she cooed or slept pretty much the entire time. Hiking with a kid is the best, everyone is so nice to you.
In the realm of interpersonal relationships, I had a great time. JB did not come to the rehearsal dinner and was semi-isolated at the wedding. I didn't speak to him once. I had some really fun times hanging out with AS and PP without him, and we also got to see the Newlyweds at their place after the wedding, which come to think of it was the highlight of the wedding for me (that and getting so much time with the LM).
Listening: Yagi Michiyo
Drinking: last of the Kunming 98
So, back from Sedona and the GC. The wedding was wonderful. I walked a lot, ran once, did not meditate, and did no work. The hammer is about to fall on the China thing - I have to produce today. I ran/walked exclusively in the FFs, and they were great, even on the sharp rocks in Sedona. The whole experience made me want to run ten miles a day. The GC was especially inspiring. We took the Little Monster down to mile 1.5 on the Bright Angel trail. The walk back up was a snap, I think the whole thing took us about 2.5 hrs. In retrospect we could have gone farther. The LM was a dream for the whole trip, but especially on the hikes - she cooed or slept pretty much the entire time. Hiking with a kid is the best, everyone is so nice to you.
In the realm of interpersonal relationships, I had a great time. JB did not come to the rehearsal dinner and was semi-isolated at the wedding. I didn't speak to him once. I had some really fun times hanging out with AS and PP without him, and we also got to see the Newlyweds at their place after the wedding, which come to think of it was the highlight of the wedding for me (that and getting so much time with the LM).
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The House is on Fire
Eating: Harvest Cobb from Chop't
Drinking: making some B-grade pu'er
Listening: EK's Asa Tru
I got home last night in time to spend some wonderful QT with the Little Gorilla. We put her in the Kelty backpack that we got this weekend and she had a blast playing with the straps and my head and just generally enjoying the view. While my Better Half was nursing her, I went for a run in the FFs. Just down to GAP and back, about one mile. They felt great. They are so light that I hardly notice them, and they don't flap around like the aquasocks. I think I am doing a pretty good midfoot landing too. Really, really psyched to run in Sedona.
Made it to the gym again today. I did 5 minutes hard on the erg, then 2 x 20 squats w/ bar on the bosu, then 2 x 10 deadlift to standing row to overhead press, then an agonizing 10 lunges per side with 25# barbells (I think I was supposed to do 2 x 15 - ha), then pushups on the ball 9 8 6 4, which felt good like a motherfucker, then cross-crunches, 10 per side. This is more or less based on some Outside crap that I read yesterday slash Gym Jones. Anyway it was - fuck I forgot my steeping tea. Mmm, paint thinner. Anyway it was a great workout and I feel great right now. Weights is a funny thing. Before zen came into my life, I don't think I really got the core concept, which is that you have to repeat something many, many times before you get better at it. Which is the core concept to life in general, I think.
I meditated for 18' last night, which felt pretty good. I had kind of slacked on meditating over the weekend. I only managed 5' Sunday night, because I was so tired. Not sure if the foreboding / anxiety Sunday and Monday is from not meditating, from drinking too much, from not working enough, or from the janjaweed. One thing about that though, it made me into a GT animal.
And, work. The BH is worried about my job, and I suppose she should be, because it's the apocalypse, but life will go on with or without my job, and I have been working pretty hard. My focus has generally been better than it was in Tax, but it could still improve.
Drinking: making some B-grade pu'er
Listening: EK's Asa Tru
I got home last night in time to spend some wonderful QT with the Little Gorilla. We put her in the Kelty backpack that we got this weekend and she had a blast playing with the straps and my head and just generally enjoying the view. While my Better Half was nursing her, I went for a run in the FFs. Just down to GAP and back, about one mile. They felt great. They are so light that I hardly notice them, and they don't flap around like the aquasocks. I think I am doing a pretty good midfoot landing too. Really, really psyched to run in Sedona.
Made it to the gym again today. I did 5 minutes hard on the erg, then 2 x 20 squats w/ bar on the bosu, then 2 x 10 deadlift to standing row to overhead press, then an agonizing 10 lunges per side with 25# barbells (I think I was supposed to do 2 x 15 - ha), then pushups on the ball 9 8 6 4, which felt good like a motherfucker, then cross-crunches, 10 per side. This is more or less based on some Outside crap that I read yesterday slash Gym Jones. Anyway it was - fuck I forgot my steeping tea. Mmm, paint thinner. Anyway it was a great workout and I feel great right now. Weights is a funny thing. Before zen came into my life, I don't think I really got the core concept, which is that you have to repeat something many, many times before you get better at it. Which is the core concept to life in general, I think.
I meditated for 18' last night, which felt pretty good. I had kind of slacked on meditating over the weekend. I only managed 5' Sunday night, because I was so tired. Not sure if the foreboding / anxiety Sunday and Monday is from not meditating, from drinking too much, from not working enough, or from the janjaweed. One thing about that though, it made me into a GT animal.
And, work. The BH is worried about my job, and I suppose she should be, because it's the apocalypse, but life will go on with or without my job, and I have been working pretty hard. My focus has generally been better than it was in Tax, but it could still improve.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Daihatsu weekend; RIP DFW
Eating: just had some leftover pot-au-feu
Drinking: water
Listening: nothing, because I left my iPod at home
All told I had a fun weekend, although my overall anxiety level is rising. We had S and M over for brunch on Saturday, and T and P (and J) over on Sunday. JB was having his housewarming party Saturday night but I had no interest in that, so SM came back over and he and The Wife went together. When they got back, SM and I played like three hours of Gran Turismo, which was incredibly fun. One of the really fun things about it is: I don't suck at it.
Being home while my woman and one of my best friends went to my enemy's house for a party was clarifying. When she came back I really appreciated her presence and I think I was much nicer to her on Sunday as a result. Another thing that contributed to some kind of bittersweetness was that I listened to 'Jugband Blues' a couple times over the weekend. Poor Syd, and what a great song.
I made it to the gym today, but didn't do so well - only 20 minutes on the treadmill (3.1, 15) and pulldowns 4 3 3 2. No iPod, and CNBC was pretty scary, plus just not feeling that energetic - still a little sick maybe and not enough sleep. Also this creepy Italian guy that I spoke to once or twice was loitering around while I was doing the pulldowns. It's really weird being checked out - I feel sorry for the girl I was (mainly unconsciously) staring at on the subway this morning.
I was pretty sad to learn that DFW killed himself. Always thought we were going to hear more from him.
OK, that's enough for now. Got some indemnification provisions to review.
Drinking: water
Listening: nothing, because I left my iPod at home
All told I had a fun weekend, although my overall anxiety level is rising. We had S and M over for brunch on Saturday, and T and P (and J) over on Sunday. JB was having his housewarming party Saturday night but I had no interest in that, so SM came back over and he and The Wife went together. When they got back, SM and I played like three hours of Gran Turismo, which was incredibly fun. One of the really fun things about it is: I don't suck at it.
Being home while my woman and one of my best friends went to my enemy's house for a party was clarifying. When she came back I really appreciated her presence and I think I was much nicer to her on Sunday as a result. Another thing that contributed to some kind of bittersweetness was that I listened to 'Jugband Blues' a couple times over the weekend. Poor Syd, and what a great song.
I made it to the gym today, but didn't do so well - only 20 minutes on the treadmill (3.1, 15) and pulldowns 4 3 3 2. No iPod, and CNBC was pretty scary, plus just not feeling that energetic - still a little sick maybe and not enough sleep. Also this creepy Italian guy that I spoke to once or twice was loitering around while I was doing the pulldowns. It's really weird being checked out - I feel sorry for the girl I was (mainly unconsciously) staring at on the subway this morning.
I was pretty sad to learn that DFW killed himself. Always thought we were going to hear more from him.
OK, that's enough for now. Got some indemnification provisions to review.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
FIF
I just did the Twight easy (only 60 squats) with my FFs on. I got some weird looks, I think; I was trying not to notice. The running part was great, though. They are better than aquasocks for sure. The squats were hell. I don't know if it's being sick or what but it took me forever to get out of bed this morning and ten squats felt like more than enough.
Last night was fun. I got home pretty early, and we hung out with La Monstrita (who was in a great mood), then made dinner (arroz de polvo and artichokes) and watched a bunch of TV. I got pretty baked about halfway through the cooking process, and I have to say that made America's Toughest Jobs a lot more interesting, and the first twenty minutes of Scrubs (right up to the moral lesson) a lot funnier. I had never seen ATJ before. They were panning for gold in Alaska, and when I turned it on they were showing some of the contestants calling their families by satellite phone. The mother of one of the contestants had cancer, and that took me right back.
Just thinking about KK. It's funny, his talk of being worse (ie. more depressed) in the morning / daytime didn't make any sense to me when he said it, but of course I've always been a bit like that myself. In college and law school, for instance, I would routinely set my alarm for 8, turn it off, and sleep until 10, and hate myself for it. That's why I need a job - it gives some structure to the first four hours of the day.
I read RJ's dissertation proposal (or anyway most of it) on the train home yesterday. I was delighted to find that it is really fantastic, a serious and thoughtful proposal. For some reason I expected a lot more jargon and humanitiesspeak than was in there. I need to remember to call her and talk to her about it.
Did not meditate last night. I was too tired and semi-drunk by the time all the cleanup was done, and I just wanted to go to bed. I read two Bowles stories (The Circular Valley and The Delicate Prey) and both of them creeped me out.
Just did pushups 10 8 6 4, found them pretty easy.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Updates
Let's see ... I had Indian food for dinner last night, and Menchanko-Tei for lunch. I am feeling less sick but still not 100%. At work today I was fairly disciplined, not my best but not my worst.
I just got a pair of Vibram Five Fingers, black KSOs. The Wife thinks they are unspeakably ugly. The plan was to run in them this aft but it is cold and pouring rain, so so much for that. The right one doesn't fit so well, what with my trashed big toe, but I am still very very excited to try them out tomorrow.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
chomp chomp
Eating: a Harvest Cobb from Chop't
Drinking: water, I guess
Listening: I Am The Upsetter; On The Wings Of The Haoma
Just back from the gym. I did 21', 15 climb at 3.0mph. Just right for being sick. 150# pulldowns 4 3 3 2, pushups 10 8 8 5. Felt really, really good. I was right at the edge of exhaustion for the last pushup.
It turns out that the person that I thought was RM at chez MR yesterday was, in fact, RM. AR told me he ran into her over the phone, so I Facebooked her and we're having coffee this afternoon. Had a good talk with AR. He underscored the importance of being civil to the Wife's dad. Which I guess is good advice, but putting it into practice is not going to be easy.
Another thing from the gym - I weighed myself, and I'm 190#. I was thinking 186 would be nice, because that's what I weighed in college.
On a new matter with DM and JS, who I'm kind of afraid of. It sounds like an interesting project though.
Drinking: water, I guess
Listening: I Am The Upsetter; On The Wings Of The Haoma
Just back from the gym. I did 21', 15 climb at 3.0mph. Just right for being sick. 150# pulldowns 4 3 3 2, pushups 10 8 8 5. Felt really, really good. I was right at the edge of exhaustion for the last pushup.
It turns out that the person that I thought was RM at chez MR yesterday was, in fact, RM. AR told me he ran into her over the phone, so I Facebooked her and we're having coffee this afternoon. Had a good talk with AR. He underscored the importance of being civil to the Wife's dad. Which I guess is good advice, but putting it into practice is not going to be easy.
Another thing from the gym - I weighed myself, and I'm 190#. I was thinking 186 would be nice, because that's what I weighed in college.
On a new matter with DM and JS, who I'm kind of afraid of. It sounds like an interesting project though.
Stasis
Eating: yesterday lunch, tandoori chicken from the caf; yesterday dinner, a bunch of cookies and a Larabar at the CLE, then two pieces of quiche when I got home; today breakfast, three soft-cooked eggs and an English muffin
Drinking: just finished 1998 Kunming iron cake that I left overnight, which I didn't notice as I was drinking; the caffeine is nice though
Listening: Tonight's the Night (yes it is) this morning; Can You Get To That now
Reading: Roden last night, Joko on attention on the train
So, I am kind of feeling shitty right now. Yesterday when I woke up I had the pressure and ache that indicates the beginning of an ear infection, and this morning I felt distinctly phlegmy, so I took three horse pills and put a bunch more in a ziplock. I don't feel so bad now. I am going to do a (shorter, slower) hillclimb, pushups, pulldowns etc today anyway and spend some time in the sauna to clear out my lungs a bit, I think.
The CLE was pretty interesting, all about the various ethics traps relating to corporate investigations. I had some experience with that in tax, and of course I am around litigators all the time, so I was able to follow somewhat. The most interesting thing about it was that a very, very attractive associate at DPW sat next to me. She had this very direct engaging manner and kept engaging me in small talk. I caught her name as we were checking out and was able to e-stalk her in about three seconds this morning - she's married to some hedge fund analyst, which i could have guessed from the $25k of diamonds on her left hand. I had to suppress the instinct to ask her to the Algonquin for a drink. I told la Femme about it in the hopes that it would make her want to sleep with me; no such luck.
The Joko book gets more and more interesting. I feel like I'm getting somewhere in terms of understanding the emotional motivations for my actions. Meditation last night (still 17 minutes) was very hard. The urge to fidget was very, very strong, and at one point I was breathing very hard, almost hyperventilating.
Something I keep neglecting to mention here is my effort to learn enough Hebrew that I can at least sound it out by Rosh Hashanah. I don't think I'm going to make it, since it's now Thursday and I haven't opened the book since Friday.
Drinking: just finished 1998 Kunming iron cake that I left overnight, which I didn't notice as I was drinking; the caffeine is nice though
Listening: Tonight's the Night (yes it is) this morning; Can You Get To That now
Reading: Roden last night, Joko on attention on the train
So, I am kind of feeling shitty right now. Yesterday when I woke up I had the pressure and ache that indicates the beginning of an ear infection, and this morning I felt distinctly phlegmy, so I took three horse pills and put a bunch more in a ziplock. I don't feel so bad now. I am going to do a (shorter, slower) hillclimb, pushups, pulldowns etc today anyway and spend some time in the sauna to clear out my lungs a bit, I think.
The CLE was pretty interesting, all about the various ethics traps relating to corporate investigations. I had some experience with that in tax, and of course I am around litigators all the time, so I was able to follow somewhat. The most interesting thing about it was that a very, very attractive associate at DPW sat next to me. She had this very direct engaging manner and kept engaging me in small talk. I caught her name as we were checking out and was able to e-stalk her in about three seconds this morning - she's married to some hedge fund analyst, which i could have guessed from the $25k of diamonds on her left hand. I had to suppress the instinct to ask her to the Algonquin for a drink. I told la Femme about it in the hopes that it would make her want to sleep with me; no such luck.
The Joko book gets more and more interesting. I feel like I'm getting somewhere in terms of understanding the emotional motivations for my actions. Meditation last night (still 17 minutes) was very hard. The urge to fidget was very, very strong, and at one point I was breathing very hard, almost hyperventilating.
Something I keep neglecting to mention here is my effort to learn enough Hebrew that I can at least sound it out by Rosh Hashanah. I don't think I'm going to make it, since it's now Thursday and I haven't opened the book since Friday.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Lame
Eating: nothing
Drinking: water
Listening: Lizard Stick, now Needles in the Camel's Eye
So, I had my little meeting. It had the exact tenor of a failed on-campus interview. I was extremely nervous, he didn't know anything about me or seem especially interested, and there were a bunch of things I wish I had said differently. The whole thing was just very ... unenthusiastic. Not sure my Chinese would be up to it, anyway.
I am in a listless, surf the internet kind of mood. I think I'll try to finally finish the fucking Hainan summary and get it out to YC before I leave for my CLE, which is at 6.
Drinking: water
Listening: Lizard Stick, now Needles in the Camel's Eye
So, I had my little meeting. It had the exact tenor of a failed on-campus interview. I was extremely nervous, he didn't know anything about me or seem especially interested, and there were a bunch of things I wish I had said differently. The whole thing was just very ... unenthusiastic. Not sure my Chinese would be up to it, anyway.
I am in a listless, surf the internet kind of mood. I think I'll try to finally finish the fucking Hainan summary and get it out to YC before I leave for my CLE, which is at 6.
Semi-frantic morning
Eating: I had some cereal an hour and a half ago
Listening: Nothing but I may put on some Fela
Drinking: Water? I had some iced coffee on the train
Reading: Joko on awareness yesterday on the train, Claudia Roden last night in bed, an academic paper on autonomy on the train
I am torn between obsessing about meeting MR and fretting about how to explain to YC et al that I haven't done anything. I actually was able to settle into reading some regs last night, but only once I was on the train. Spent the last hour or so at work looking at Youtube, mainly. The reading was nice though because it showed that the task is not beyond my abilities. This morning (time permitting) I may try to do a blackline of the 97 regs against the 04 regs.
I ran after getting home, as planned. 2.1 miles. I also did pushups, 9 8 6 5. The pushups are getting easier. The running was fine too, although I did notice that I was pronating a lot - the outside edge of my foot is completely flat when I stand.
I had kind of a weird morning with the Tiny Monster. She didn't seem that interested in hangin out with me. I haven't seen her in the evenings in a while, which might be the reason.
While meditating last night I daydreamed a lot, and thought about the Joko passage that I had read on the way home, which said something like some people can sit on the cushion and daydream for 20 years. Is that something I should worry about? I don't know that I can stop myself from daydreaming, and it may be better, or at least constructive in some way, to sit still even if I'm spacing out.
Listening: Nothing but I may put on some Fela
Drinking: Water? I had some iced coffee on the train
Reading: Joko on awareness yesterday on the train, Claudia Roden last night in bed, an academic paper on autonomy on the train
I am torn between obsessing about meeting MR and fretting about how to explain to YC et al that I haven't done anything. I actually was able to settle into reading some regs last night, but only once I was on the train. Spent the last hour or so at work looking at Youtube, mainly. The reading was nice though because it showed that the task is not beyond my abilities. This morning (time permitting) I may try to do a blackline of the 97 regs against the 04 regs.
I ran after getting home, as planned. 2.1 miles. I also did pushups, 9 8 6 5. The pushups are getting easier. The running was fine too, although I did notice that I was pronating a lot - the outside edge of my foot is completely flat when I stand.
I had kind of a weird morning with the Tiny Monster. She didn't seem that interested in hangin out with me. I haven't seen her in the evenings in a while, which might be the reason.
While meditating last night I daydreamed a lot, and thought about the Joko passage that I had read on the way home, which said something like some people can sit on the cushion and daydream for 20 years. Is that something I should worry about? I don't know that I can stop myself from daydreaming, and it may be better, or at least constructive in some way, to sit still even if I'm spacing out.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Or Maybe
Eating: a salad (greek) from the Caf
Listening: Secret Chiefs
Drinking: water
On second thought, I'm going to spend another hour trying to work, and then head home for a run and pushups. I have been doing those pronation exercises sporadically.
Listening: Secret Chiefs
Drinking: water
On second thought, I'm going to spend another hour trying to work, and then head home for a run and pushups. I have been doing those pronation exercises sporadically.
Limping along
I am just kind of scraping by here. I haven't done much reading of Chinese regs, although I've read up - kind of compulsively - on this MR person, and done my various errands, and spoken to my parents (it's their anniversary). I am getting a knot in my stomach thinking about tomorrow. I am thinking about going to the gym, but I also need to do some working and printing ... not sure what to do.
One nice thing about today is that it did not feature a two-hour food coma after lunch.
I think I'm going to go to the gym.
One nice thing about today is that it did not feature a two-hour food coma after lunch.
I think I'm going to go to the gym.
Politics and lunch don't mix
Listening: 3 6 Mafia, Stay Fly (Diplo remix)
Drinking: nothing (but I just had a double espresso)
Eating: Kentucky ham appetizer and tartare at Bar Americain
Just had an interview lunch with DL and a really nice candidate from the Midwest. Altogether a pleasant experience, although Sarah Palin came up and I had to defuse the situation.
I spoke to SK this afternoon and I am going ahead with my meeting tomorrow afternoon, even though I really don't have any intention of going anywhere. That will require some prep - I want to read at least one of MR's articles, some China Business, and do a little review of the stuff that I've worked on here. I was supposed to send her a CV but I don't really see the point - my CV is five years old and I don't have any interest in revising it this afternoon.
There is a ton of other nonsense I have to do this afternoon - pay my most-overdue student loan, register for a CLE, read some more Chinese regulations, email YC about changing the time for the meeting tomorrow. I think I am going to neglect my big deal in favor of those.
Looking for something to read on the can (which is one of the biggest risks around here - sometimes turns into a horrible thirty minutes of desperately searching the net for a first-person account of sailing across the Pacific or something along those lines), I hit Arts and Letters Daily, and found some great stuff. Just now I read an incredible piece on bullfighting, and earlier this morning I read an amazing book review on economics and culture. It may be the meditating, but I am less worked up about immigration than I used to be, although I still agree with the author on this point:
All-important shared cultural values can erode or be lost if too many immigrants with persistent Malthusian mindsets join in only to exploit the comforts of a wealthy host country. The result may be the same if kindhearted multiculturalists remove the pressures on newcomers to adapt to the needs of productive life in Australia. The necessary integration does not require that immigrants give up their cuisine or festivals, but they must adopt fundamental values such as the commitments to self-reliance and to save and invest, as well as a respect for the fundamental rule of law, which also implies shunning violence.
Not sure if the gym is in the cards today, I'll see how the afternoon goes. I can't go home early because the gd inlaws are there, no doubt walking around with their shoes on and pawing through my closet.
Drinking: nothing (but I just had a double espresso)
Eating: Kentucky ham appetizer and tartare at Bar Americain
Just had an interview lunch with DL and a really nice candidate from the Midwest. Altogether a pleasant experience, although Sarah Palin came up and I had to defuse the situation.
I spoke to SK this afternoon and I am going ahead with my meeting tomorrow afternoon, even though I really don't have any intention of going anywhere. That will require some prep - I want to read at least one of MR's articles, some China Business, and do a little review of the stuff that I've worked on here. I was supposed to send her a CV but I don't really see the point - my CV is five years old and I don't have any interest in revising it this afternoon.
There is a ton of other nonsense I have to do this afternoon - pay my most-overdue student loan, register for a CLE, read some more Chinese regulations, email YC about changing the time for the meeting tomorrow. I think I am going to neglect my big deal in favor of those.
Looking for something to read on the can (which is one of the biggest risks around here - sometimes turns into a horrible thirty minutes of desperately searching the net for a first-person account of sailing across the Pacific or something along those lines), I hit Arts and Letters Daily, and found some great stuff. Just now I read an incredible piece on bullfighting, and earlier this morning I read an amazing book review on economics and culture. It may be the meditating, but I am less worked up about immigration than I used to be, although I still agree with the author on this point:
All-important shared cultural values can erode or be lost if too many immigrants with persistent Malthusian mindsets join in only to exploit the comforts of a wealthy host country. The result may be the same if kindhearted multiculturalists remove the pressures on newcomers to adapt to the needs of productive life in Australia. The necessary integration does not require that immigrants give up their cuisine or festivals, but they must adopt fundamental values such as the commitments to self-reliance and to save and invest, as well as a respect for the fundamental rule of law, which also implies shunning violence.
Not sure if the gym is in the cards today, I'll see how the afternoon goes. I can't go home early because the gd inlaws are there, no doubt walking around with their shoes on and pawing through my closet.
It's about to rain
Eating: cereal and Green Magma for breakfast, banana right now
Drinking: just had the last of the laobanzhang, steeped overnight
Reading: last night - a Paul Bowles short story, The Echo; this a.m. - finished Control of Nature, re-read the first half of Melting Ice Cubes
I had an interesting talk with my shrink this morning about owning my problems. No need to go into details though. DL and I are taking an interviewee out for lunch today, and he just got incredibly angry with me for defending Sarah Palin (her Christian fundamentalism), said he was bailing on the lunch, and hung up. I can't help it, I just don't like Obama at all. Anyway, I was able to talk him down. Although, he just sent me this video, so maybe I wasn't totally successful.
I forgot to do my pushups this morning until after the nanny had arrived and I had put my tie on. Running is also unlikely today because of the interview lunch. Maybe a rest day is in order anyway. My legs felt really tired climbing the stairs last night.
Drinking: just had the last of the laobanzhang, steeped overnight
Reading: last night - a Paul Bowles short story, The Echo; this a.m. - finished Control of Nature, re-read the first half of Melting Ice Cubes
I had an interesting talk with my shrink this morning about owning my problems. No need to go into details though. DL and I are taking an interviewee out for lunch today, and he just got incredibly angry with me for defending Sarah Palin (her Christian fundamentalism), said he was bailing on the lunch, and hung up. I can't help it, I just don't like Obama at all. Anyway, I was able to talk him down. Although, he just sent me this video, so maybe I wasn't totally successful.
I forgot to do my pushups this morning until after the nanny had arrived and I had put my tie on. Running is also unlikely today because of the interview lunch. Maybe a rest day is in order anyway. My legs felt really tired climbing the stairs last night.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Good Advice Across the Board
Eating: some healthy ("grass-fed") beef tacos, with like no beef and lots of vegetables, which is about right
Drinking: mixed vegetable juice (both from SeamlessWeb)
Listening: the Patti Dooke ("dilute it / pollute it")
Wasting more time. Just found this exercise for correcting pronation. Should try to do that. While I was running with The Better Half this weekend, she noted that I pronate like my life depends on it.
From UltRunR:
Focused Attention: Be aware of distractions. Breathe out unwanted thoughts with your next exhale and re-focus your attention instantly on what is important.
Drinking: mixed vegetable juice (both from SeamlessWeb)
Listening: the Patti Dooke ("dilute it / pollute it")
Wasting more time. Just found this exercise for correcting pronation. Should try to do that. While I was running with The Better Half this weekend, she noted that I pronate like my life depends on it.
From UltRunR:
Focused Attention: Be aware of distractions. Breathe out unwanted thoughts with your next exhale and re-focus your attention instantly on what is important.
Tennis et cetera
Eating: a larabar and two Starbursts at 4
Listening: the live webcast of Federer v. Murray
Drinking: long late steeps of the Laobanzhang
Between the last post and my 4 pm call, I didn't really get much done with the drafting, although it was more than I've done in the last week, so I guess that's something. I spent some time looking at wood-burning camping stoves on the internet and reading about winter camping in general. I have this mental image of making matcha from melted snow among the tall still subalpine firs (I think they are firs) of British Columbia, and using twigs from said firs as fuel, and it's a nice image, but my job is undoubtedly more important. Back from the call, I sat right down and hammered out the drafting, and sent it to JS. It's not perfect, but I think it's pretty close to working, and it's good to move the ball forward a bit.
I was getting pretty sleepy on the phone, maybe thanks to the Starburst. I need to think about office snacks. I haven't yet found anything that makes me not hungry but not asleep.
The tail end of the Laobanzhang is so good. It is so sweet and round. I had completely forgotten how good this stuff is. And last I checked I have a lifetime supply of it (the 2006 anyway).
Federer, of course, started fucking up as soon as I turned on the webcast. Not that I can control that.
Listening: the live webcast of Federer v. Murray
Drinking: long late steeps of the Laobanzhang
Between the last post and my 4 pm call, I didn't really get much done with the drafting, although it was more than I've done in the last week, so I guess that's something. I spent some time looking at wood-burning camping stoves on the internet and reading about winter camping in general. I have this mental image of making matcha from melted snow among the tall still subalpine firs (I think they are firs) of British Columbia, and using twigs from said firs as fuel, and it's a nice image, but my job is undoubtedly more important. Back from the call, I sat right down and hammered out the drafting, and sent it to JS. It's not perfect, but I think it's pretty close to working, and it's good to move the ball forward a bit.
I was getting pretty sleepy on the phone, maybe thanks to the Starburst. I need to think about office snacks. I haven't yet found anything that makes me not hungry but not asleep.
The tail end of the Laobanzhang is so good. It is so sweet and round. I had completely forgotten how good this stuff is. And last I checked I have a lifetime supply of it (the 2006 anyway).
Federer, of course, started fucking up as soon as I turned on the webcast. Not that I can control that.
forgot to mention
Drinking: I am celebrating the fact that I have finally unpacked my teakettle (after moving to this office two months ago?) with some 2005 Xizihao Laobanzhang. It's nice. I'm not really paying attention to it though.
Entry the first
Reading (on train): Control of Nature
Reading (last night): The 'way of the icecube' passage in Nothing Special
Eating: cereal for breakfast, a larabar at 11, a Chop't East Hampton Cobb at the desk for lunch
Just back from the gym, where I did 30' at 3.2mph, on a 15 incline, and 150# pulldowns, 2 2 2 2. The long hard road to being able to do a pullup begins. I am following the one hundred pushups program, on the easiest setting, for pulldowns, with the hope that I will be able to crank up the pulldown amount and/or lose weight to the point where the two numbers converge and pullups will happen. I actually found the pulldowns pretty easy, although I wouldn't have wanted to do more than two in a set. The walking was ok, although I started to feel desperate / caged by the end - an email telling me that JS had called did not help there, as I have been totally procrastinating a minor drafting task for her for four days. I still haven't called her back. My legs did not hurt much despite doing a watered-down version of Mark Twight's "easy" workout on Saturday (60 air squats, run 800m, 60 air squats) and running 2 miles with The Wife and La Monstrita on Sunday. I was hurting yesterday but I feel fine now.
I was not so focused this morning. The drafting is not happening and I need to get cracking on the Chinese legal research too. Instead I read about the Dunblane massacre and its perpetrator.
I meditated last night for 16 minutes and will be going up to 17 tonight. I kind of lost my nerve with about a minute to go, cracked my wrist and checked the time, and I'm not sure what triggered the 'spasm' (as Joko, following Benoit, calls it) but I wasn't able to stay with it and having a learning experience. I think it might have been thinking (competitive thoughts) about JB.
I also had this bizarre dream the night before last - I had to meet someone at an inn, which was in Queens. I took a cab over the bridge (from Manhattan) and descended into a kind of sprawling rural slum, with dirt roads and huge overhanging banyan trees, the sort of landscape you'd expect to see in Burma or Cambodia. The road was swarming with streetwalkers, hundreds of them, all clearly Southeast Asian. We got to the inn, which was a little two-and-a-half story farmstead next to the road, and I walked past some more hookers who were sitting around the courtyard and started climbing an exterior ladder to the attic / loft. As I got to the top, I looked down and realized that I had climbed past the two people I was to meet, two Buddhist monks, who were sitting on a porch on the second floor. They noticed me at the same time, and gassho'd, and I gassho'd back, feeling incredibly relieved and open.
Reading (last night): The 'way of the icecube' passage in Nothing Special
Eating: cereal for breakfast, a larabar at 11, a Chop't East Hampton Cobb at the desk for lunch
Just back from the gym, where I did 30' at 3.2mph, on a 15 incline, and 150# pulldowns, 2 2 2 2. The long hard road to being able to do a pullup begins. I am following the one hundred pushups program, on the easiest setting, for pulldowns, with the hope that I will be able to crank up the pulldown amount and/or lose weight to the point where the two numbers converge and pullups will happen. I actually found the pulldowns pretty easy, although I wouldn't have wanted to do more than two in a set. The walking was ok, although I started to feel desperate / caged by the end - an email telling me that JS had called did not help there, as I have been totally procrastinating a minor drafting task for her for four days. I still haven't called her back. My legs did not hurt much despite doing a watered-down version of Mark Twight's "easy" workout on Saturday (60 air squats, run 800m, 60 air squats) and running 2 miles with The Wife and La Monstrita on Sunday. I was hurting yesterday but I feel fine now.
I was not so focused this morning. The drafting is not happening and I need to get cracking on the Chinese legal research too. Instead I read about the Dunblane massacre and its perpetrator.
I meditated last night for 16 minutes and will be going up to 17 tonight. I kind of lost my nerve with about a minute to go, cracked my wrist and checked the time, and I'm not sure what triggered the 'spasm' (as Joko, following Benoit, calls it) but I wasn't able to stay with it and having a learning experience. I think it might have been thinking (competitive thoughts) about JB.
I also had this bizarre dream the night before last - I had to meet someone at an inn, which was in Queens. I took a cab over the bridge (from Manhattan) and descended into a kind of sprawling rural slum, with dirt roads and huge overhanging banyan trees, the sort of landscape you'd expect to see in Burma or Cambodia. The road was swarming with streetwalkers, hundreds of them, all clearly Southeast Asian. We got to the inn, which was a little two-and-a-half story farmstead next to the road, and I walked past some more hookers who were sitting around the courtyard and started climbing an exterior ladder to the attic / loft. As I got to the top, I looked down and realized that I had climbed past the two people I was to meet, two Buddhist monks, who were sitting on a porch on the second floor. They noticed me at the same time, and gassho'd, and I gassho'd back, feeling incredibly relieved and open.
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