The plague
My house (aka the RaccoonBear City aka RBC) is currently a house of pestilence. Last week both roomie D and long-term houseguest M caught what is likely the flu, or at least some really nasty cold. Roomie D puked and now has a nearly constant cough - seriously, he doesn't go 30 seconds without coughing; M rarely crawls out of bed to venture downstairs, and when he does looks like death warmed over. Both had temperatures that topped out at over 102F. So far neither D's girlfriend J, nor el señor B, nor I have caught the dread virus, although B & I are sporting less severe colds at the moment. Viruses! All the rage here at RBC!
My eyes itch.
Biking in the winter/The crappy weather we are currently experiencing
I am crazy. I am somewhat assuaged by not by not being the only one. But seriously, yesterday was a weird winter-biking day. In the morning it was overcast, maybe even misty, 35F with a gnarly headwind. I was racing a train to all of the intersections as I made my way to PowerFlow class. I beat the train to the first intersection, but it caught me at the next two, thanks in particular to a bunch of asshole drivers who wouldn't let me by. I flipped off at least 80 people, mittens off, both hands. It's been at least a month or two since I got warm enough on a commute to take off my balaclava, unzip my coat, and remove my mittens.
Then I went to go get a haircut in the afternoon and the temp had dropped to ~10F with crazy gusting and this weird, pellet-y snow that stung my poor face, or what was exposed of it anyway. A few pellets even hit my tongue, which really hurt and I'm not sure why my mouth was open. The bike paths/sidewalks/roads, which had been clear in the morning, were now coated in half an inch of the pellet-y snow over sheet ice. Ouch. I decided to walk my bike as traffic was moving so slowly that I could still beat the buses to the capitol square in such a fashion. Then I got bored, and the crunchy stuff on top of the ice seemed to have okay traction, so I switched to biking. White-knuckle material for sure. At one point the wind was blowing my bike UP a hill with no pedaling, and I didn't even consider using my brakes on the sheets of ice. Harrowing indeed, but I made it to my hair appointment just fine and was only a few minutes late.
After the haircut (with Melissa at Chameleon Salon who is the awesomist stylist EVER - give her your business!), a mere hour later, the temperature had dropped well into the negative range and who knows how much further with windchill factored in. Me and the SDB4k took the bus the rest of the way home. Word. I refuse to ride again until we're at least experiencing positive digits in the morning.
*(at least, that's the closest I can come to writing it out) "Dael" - Autechre
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
I'm thinking something smart but I'm saying something stupid*
I had a seriously great morning on Thursday.
It began very early (at least for me). My alarm began its extended assault around 6:00am, and at 6:43am - knowing that I had to leave the house at precisely 7:00am in order to catch the bus to yoga - I rolled outta bed. As I peeled off my nightshirt, I noticed that I'd left behind a good portion of the skin on my back, being that the new tattoo had begun the Big Peel. That was kind of gross, but also cool, so I set it aside to show off to el señor B later. Then I got dressed, stuffed a boysenberry jam-filled bran muffin and half a cup of cold, leftover coffee down my gullet and ran out the door at 7:02am. Knowing I was late, I half-ran down the slippery sidewalks to the bus stop, where I would have missed the bus had I left the house 30 seconds later. Small victories, kids, small victories.
Sat down on the bus, all out of breath and still half-asleep. I opted for the Small Knives album "Rain on Tin" for the first selection on my mp3-player. I first discovered this band when the album came out and I reviewed it for me & el señor B's radio show. It's clean, simple, plain Americana folk/rock stuff, lapsteel and all. Only they're not American - story to follow another time. Anyway, it was just what I was in the mood for. Even though I was barely awake, I decided to try my hand at some killer sudoku.
Now. The killer sudoku is my newest math puzzle obsession. I bought this little book in the airport on my way to Puerto Rico. These were the puzzles I was doing on the beach.
The puzzles are all rated by how much they make your pencil sweat - they each have these little pencil icons next to them, with no sweat droplets (easy) or up to 4 sweat droplets (deadly). I have twice previously attempted a "deadly" killer sudoku, only to find myself stumped with nary a box filled out. But this bleary-eyed morning I found an opening. In fact, I had a logical revelation - I figured out a new-to-me bit of logic I could use to open up these mean puzzles. As I was engrossed in my first semi-successful attempt of a "deadly" killer sudoku, the music stopped and I made my second fortuitous audiophilic choice: My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless". Definitely in my top-20 complete albums of all time, and a great way to get ready for the first PowerFlow class of the semester.
PowerFlow went well, it was A - one of my and el señor B's favorite instructors - at the helm and class was crowded. First 2 weeks there's 40 people in class. By the end of the semester it's just me, el señor, and maybe 3 other people. The class was easier than usual, I guess A didn't want to scare people away just yet, and I was relieved because after 1.5 months of no yoga, easy was more than enough.
On the ~5 block walk to the student union for coffee & a biscuit, I thought my face was going to freeze and fall off. But it didn't (small victories). At the union I'd anticipated ordering the inferior grill coffee when I got my egg & cheese biscuit - for convenience, really. However, there was a line at the grill and so I headed over to the QuickByte instead, which was a good save because their brew of the day was mighty tasty indeed. I re-entered the grill line, coffee in hand, and decided that I deserved the 2 eggs + biscuits and gravy special because why the fuck not is why. It was very tasty. I loves me some biscuits and sausage gravy. As I polished those off, I completed my first ever "deadly" killer sudoku! Woot! And still made it to the office earlier than normal.
A good morning indeed.
*"The Line" - Small Knives
It began very early (at least for me). My alarm began its extended assault around 6:00am, and at 6:43am - knowing that I had to leave the house at precisely 7:00am in order to catch the bus to yoga - I rolled outta bed. As I peeled off my nightshirt, I noticed that I'd left behind a good portion of the skin on my back, being that the new tattoo had begun the Big Peel. That was kind of gross, but also cool, so I set it aside to show off to el señor B later. Then I got dressed, stuffed a boysenberry jam-filled bran muffin and half a cup of cold, leftover coffee down my gullet and ran out the door at 7:02am. Knowing I was late, I half-ran down the slippery sidewalks to the bus stop, where I would have missed the bus had I left the house 30 seconds later. Small victories, kids, small victories.
Sat down on the bus, all out of breath and still half-asleep. I opted for the Small Knives album "Rain on Tin" for the first selection on my mp3-player. I first discovered this band when the album came out and I reviewed it for me & el señor B's radio show. It's clean, simple, plain Americana folk/rock stuff, lapsteel and all. Only they're not American - story to follow another time. Anyway, it was just what I was in the mood for. Even though I was barely awake, I decided to try my hand at some killer sudoku.
Now. The killer sudoku is my newest math puzzle obsession. I bought this little book in the airport on my way to Puerto Rico. These were the puzzles I was doing on the beach.
The puzzles are all rated by how much they make your pencil sweat - they each have these little pencil icons next to them, with no sweat droplets (easy) or up to 4 sweat droplets (deadly). I have twice previously attempted a "deadly" killer sudoku, only to find myself stumped with nary a box filled out. But this bleary-eyed morning I found an opening. In fact, I had a logical revelation - I figured out a new-to-me bit of logic I could use to open up these mean puzzles. As I was engrossed in my first semi-successful attempt of a "deadly" killer sudoku, the music stopped and I made my second fortuitous audiophilic choice: My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless". Definitely in my top-20 complete albums of all time, and a great way to get ready for the first PowerFlow class of the semester.PowerFlow went well, it was A - one of my and el señor B's favorite instructors - at the helm and class was crowded. First 2 weeks there's 40 people in class. By the end of the semester it's just me, el señor, and maybe 3 other people. The class was easier than usual, I guess A didn't want to scare people away just yet, and I was relieved because after 1.5 months of no yoga, easy was more than enough.
On the ~5 block walk to the student union for coffee & a biscuit, I thought my face was going to freeze and fall off. But it didn't (small victories). At the union I'd anticipated ordering the inferior grill coffee when I got my egg & cheese biscuit - for convenience, really. However, there was a line at the grill and so I headed over to the QuickByte instead, which was a good save because their brew of the day was mighty tasty indeed. I re-entered the grill line, coffee in hand, and decided that I deserved the 2 eggs + biscuits and gravy special because why the fuck not is why. It was very tasty. I loves me some biscuits and sausage gravy. As I polished those off, I completed my first ever "deadly" killer sudoku! Woot! And still made it to the office earlier than normal.
A good morning indeed.
*"The Line" - Small Knives
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Just me and you, pretending we're not home*
So I finished my first week of teaching general chemistry at ye ol' community college. It went okay, I think. I generally like my students, and I really just have to stay one step ahead of them throughout the semester. Haven't had to do a lab yet, so we'll see how that goes. Hilarious (to other people) hijinks have already ensued thanks to the fact that I don't yet have a key card that lets me into my office and lab, and the temporary ones they give me keep going bad. As I expected, significant figures (or, if you like, significant digits) are giving the "kids" a bit of trouble, which means they're just going to love the lecture I have planned for next week.
And now, some more photographic randomness. Except not really random, since they're usually pictures that have the unifying property of all being off of my camera.
How is it that I have a mother who is only 38 years old? Poor Mumsie, not only has she gotten cheated out of a proper birthday her whole life by being born 2 days after Christmas, but this year her ungrateful family forgot to buy the right number candles and so just used whatever ones were laying around the kitchen.
Me'n'roomie D making with the shenanigans at T & L's party this summer.
Tomorrow I get my newest tattoo colored in. But I'm not putting up any pictures until I've also gotten the old tattoo on my back re-colored. Thus, anticipate a photo in about a month!
*"Stay in Bed, Forget the Rest" - Deee-Lite
And now, some more photographic randomness. Except not really random, since they're usually pictures that have the unifying property of all being off of my camera.
How is it that I have a mother who is only 38 years old? Poor Mumsie, not only has she gotten cheated out of a proper birthday her whole life by being born 2 days after Christmas, but this year her ungrateful family forgot to buy the right number candles and so just used whatever ones were laying around the kitchen.
Me'n'roomie D making with the shenanigans at T & L's party this summer.Tomorrow I get my newest tattoo colored in. But I'm not putting up any pictures until I've also gotten the old tattoo on my back re-colored. Thus, anticipate a photo in about a month!
*"Stay in Bed, Forget the Rest" - Deee-Lite
Friday, January 11, 2008
But the light seeps through*
Today I'm kind of cranky for no good reason at all and I don't much feel like doing the work I need to get done, which is mainly some very tedious literature searching. I've just completed "Hell Week" for new part-time faculty at the tech college I'm teaching chemistry at this semester. Thank goodness it's almost the weekend. Of course, I anticipate being hella busy making up a course syllabus and all the other goodies I'll be handing out to my students on Monday. I'm actually very excited to be teaching the class, so I'll let you know all of the dumb things I do in it. And now a few pictures for you:
I have the wing span of a turkey vulture and the skin of a chicken.
El señor B, J & roomie D drinking beer for breakfast and showing off some beer belly.
A scientific comparison of beer belly robustness via the ASTM 2731 tabletop method.
*"Two Way Action" - Andrew Bird & the Bowl of Fire
I have the wing span of a turkey vulture and the skin of a chicken.
El señor B, J & roomie D drinking beer for breakfast and showing off some beer belly.
A scientific comparison of beer belly robustness via the ASTM 2731 tabletop method.*"Two Way Action" - Andrew Bird & the Bowl of Fire
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Pretty thing I've got you*
Tonight I say goodbye to my sweet angel-pie, Ollie. He was a good rat and will be missed both by me and his brother, Toot. Sweet dreams, little buddy.
*"Reckless Burning" - Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter
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