spacekadet

IMG_1583
Originally uploaded by davediode77.

But wait, there's more. Charles and Courtney (C-squared) have posted their wedding photos. The images truly capture the essence of their sacred bond: good friends and good food. Accolades to Meghan the photographer.

Here are a couple shots from the reception. I can't remember that girl's name but we got along famously - and we matched! We shared the best chocolate martinis of our lives!! The magic! She was one of many law students I met that night. I never thought I'd get along with a group of lawyers-to-be, but they were SO much fun. (My dream is that they have similar words to describe an evening spent with a crew of math nerds.)

Posted by monica at 09:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I registered for the 3M Half Marathon today. It's on January 29, 2006. I'm a little scared, but more than anything, really psyched that I'm actually doing it.

I use my Sundays for long, slow runs. A couple months back, I started with 60 minutes of running, and almost every week since, have added a little time to each of my runs. Two weeks ago I crossed the 100 minute mark. It was around that time that I started wondering, "How long will I keep this up for? When will I stop adding minutes? And what's my goal with all this?" (I mean, what else is there to think about?) Then naturally I started thinking of all the things I could do if I just kept it up as I've been doing.

For a long time I used to think it would be cool to be able to run a marathon, hike the Appalachian Trail, or ride a bike across America. I'm starting to realize that I can do all these things, it's just matter of actually doing them. These aren't dreams or fantasies; they are goals and ambitions.

So tomorrow I exit the phase in which I run for the sake of running and enter the phase in which I train for the Half Marathon (a feat whose name deserves to be a proper noun!). I haven't figured out a fixed training schedule, but I like what I saw on Hal Higdon's website. His half marathon training is similar to my current routine, and I like his attitude:

Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter.

In other words, global structure, but local flexibility. Or something like that. It means I don't need to freak out if I have to work late and miss a run, or end up blowing my running wad on a long bike ride. Extra run, extra rest, it all evens out.

And speaking of biking, I predict a lot of cross training in these coming months. The weather is great and Texas is a HUGE place with lots of biking and camping potential.

Fun times ahead! Ahoy!

Posted by monica at 09:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Posted by monica at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

2002 Jamis Nova
Originally uploaded by spacekadet.

The incident was minor: I was sideswiped while taking a turn at the four way stop on Speedway and 31st, just north of the Crown and Anchor (I am resisting the urge to see any symbolism in this). I actually stop at this particular stop sign because it's on a hill and the visibility is crap. But the car didn't budge, so I assumed that the driver was letting me go (as most drivers do). But as soon as I rolled away, coming down fast off the hill, the driver decided to make a pretty fast turn, right into my path. I yelled "Hey whoa holy fucking shit." I didn't fall off my bike, but dude: cars are heavy. I dismounted my bicycle, yelled at the driver, "Well are you going to pull over?" Then quickly gathered my cool, got his info, and rode on to work. Me and my bike survived unscathed. His wing mirror was folded over and he had some pedal scratches on his car door.

In retrospect, that was pretty fucking scary. My instant reaction was to yell and curse. But after a few seconds I was totally calm. No shakes. No hesitation to get back on and ride. Just some adrenaline and extreme relief that my bike was still rideable and I that I was uninjured and thus physically capable of cycling.

I don't know what I'm trying to say with all of this. Cars are giant heavy metal bullets. Defensive cycling is really really important. Cars suck. People who run into cyclists with their cars yet express no concern for the wellbeing of the cyclist have no souls. "Sorry, I didn't see you" just doesn't cut it. But I value my ride to work. Random lame ass shit happens all the time but I won't let that stop me. Most risks in life - be it riding a bicycle or flying across the world to live in a foreign city - are totally worth it.

Now, let's push the envelope a little further - how about I fly across the world to ride a bicycle in many foreign cities?

Posted by monica at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Until now I've been pretty devoted to the alfalfa sprout. It's a key ingredient in my current sandwich of choice. Are you ready for this?

Whole wheat bread [1]
Spicy mustard
Wheat roast [2]
Sprouts
Tomato
Red Onion
Sauerkraut

But yesterday, on a whim, I made a new discovery at the H.E.B.: the BroccoSprout!! Heartier than the alfalfa sprout, the BroccoSprout tastes very much like broccoli (something I LOVE). The food is actually patented by Johns Hopkins University, the folks that discovered the high levels of good stuff that exist in sprouts of the particular BroccoSprout seed.

What good stuff?

Check it: 1 ounce of broccoli sprouts contains as much of the phytochemical sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS) as 1 1/4 pounds of cooked broccoli. SGS is a natural compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous plants that supports the body's own antioxidant function. Eat THAT, free radicals!

The BroccoSprout website is well worth exploring. They've got the skinny on SGS, as well as an impressive list of Broccosprout recipes!

[1] Variation to try: Rye Bread
[2] Wheat roast is a protein-packed meat sub made of wheat gluten. Tofurkey deli slices also work well.

Posted by monica at 03:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

!!!BOO(ZE)!!!

my housemates and i are hosting a hyde park halloween house party this saturday that will rock your costume off ! ! !

Where: 603 East 49th St.
When: Saturday, Oct 29, 8pm
What: Bone-chilling beer, ethereal elixers, creepy costumes, apparitional apple bobbing, and a preternatural pinata!

Wear a costume. If you don't, one will be provided for you.

Rumor has it, Robot Monica will be making an appearance . . .

view evite

Posted by monica at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had never been to the Zilker Clubhouse before last night - my employer hosted an Oktoberfest party on its fine premises. The view was spectacular, and even though the temperature dropped after the sun went down, we couldn't tear ourselves away from the huge patio (or the kegs of Live Oak Oaktoberfest, malty Bavarian bliss!).

A few photos were taken.

Posted by monica at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

MC Rat
Originally uploaded by drewsta.

so, it's gotten cold in austin. "cold". well, cold enough that jeans are comfortable and a jacket is necessary at night. and just as suddenly, our house has become a warm refuge for ... are you ready for this? ... RATS!

i must say, i've known that something's been around for a while, based on the occasional "scurry" i hear above my head. but hey, they don't bother us, i don't bother them, right?

a few days ago, one of these critters made the mistake of rearing its head to elizabeth in the bathroom (her shrieks woke me from my slumber!). ever since then, things haven't quite been the same... eliz called an exterminator, who set some traps, and well, i was never all that comfortable with the inhumanity of it all. but i can repress.

anyway, i think something in the attic got caught in one of these traps and didn't quite DIE right away. there's been a LOT of PERSISTENT clanking in the attic, enough to wake me up and stress me out enough that it's impossible to fall back asleep.

and THEN! just moments ago! attempting to seek refuge on the couch, i walked out of my room and saw a MOUSE on our cereal shelf!!!!!!!!!

so i've given up on sleep and decided to have some coffee instead. shortly i'm going to run my nerves away. after which, i guess i won't be having cereal for breakfast. *sigh*

Posted by monica at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Posted by monica at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i want to get another tatto, one to unify the atom and the lightening bolt. i asked my mom if she had any thoughts and she sent me this sketch...

Posted by monica at 07:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

edamame
Originally uploaded by Wesley Chan.

Edamame are easy to prepare: just nuke em' or steam em' or boil em'. Then have fun popping them out of their pods.

They are portable - edamame is good hot or cold. I cook mine, eat some right away, then store the rest in the fridge, which I can bring to work.

They are a billion times healthier than potato chips, but they're still a finger food, and they don't cause greasy finger mess.

It's impossible to overeat edamame. The nature of the pod encourages one to slow down and smell the soy bean: eat one bean at a time.

Edamame are scrumptious. Especially with a little salt!

Soy beans are delish on salads, too!

Oomph - I'm hungry again. . .

Posted by monica at 03:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lately I've become a big fan of podcasts.

Don't know what a podcast is? What rock have you been living under?? I'm dishing out old news here!

Podcast, freshly added to the Oxford Dictionary of English (along with chupacabra, boo and molecular gastronomy**), is "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar programme, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player."

But back to me. Me me me. Me likes podcasts because they make running a helluvalot more interesting, especially on the uber long runs I subject myself to on Sunday mornings. Don't get me wrong, I love it. But once I've warmed up and settled into a pace, the watch-checking begins and I start thinking about things like money and work when I should really be relaxing.

Enter podcasts. Now I can have tech nerds and molecular gastronomists keep me company while I run. This way I get to keep up with the state of the world AND burn calories at the same time. It's a beautiful thing.

Today I started checking out podcasted music shows and came across this gem: Not Your Usual Bollocks, "created to provide on-demand refuge from main-stream radio."

The british know what's up.

I've been listening to NYUB for the last hour or so, and it's been rocking my work day with music I've never heard before (except for one song by Kasabian). New music. Dopamine. High energy. Dirty disco. More that indie rock stuff. Just what I need when work is too distracting for the news but silence is too sleepy and gray.

Via NYUB, I also watched my first VideoCast - a video of "Girls in Boys Clothes" by The Errorplains (talk about a song I can relate to).

**This is an entry in itself - molecular gastronomy is "the application of scientific principles to the understanding and development of food preparation". I think I just found my dream job.

Posted by monica at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out this directory of insanely cute puppy photos, courtesy of a workmate's friend (and her purchase of a pregnant pooch from the humane society).

Not only are these pups cuter than words, but they have amazing blue eyes!

Posted by monica at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Saturday was a perfect day for a bike ride. So I took my bike for its (and my) first real "ride" through the Lost Pines of Bastrop and the pleasant country roads of Smithville. Matt joined me on the near 40 mile journey, which took us about 4 hours, a bag of pretzels, a power bar, and numerous water stops. It was hard work, but very rewarding. The rolling hills and winding roads of the pine forests were extremely fun and very challenging. The pine added to the nice clean smell of the air. Matt taught me how to zig-zag up hills.

We spent the latter half of the trip on open country roads, where we could "really appreciate just how 'lost' the lost pines really are." Towards about mile 25, we road as if a pitcher of Fireman's #4 were dangling in front of our faces, and the air stopped smelling of pine and instead smelled like pizza. After the ride, we headed straight for the Parlor (after a much needed shower) and enjoyed the pizza and beer we earned so athletically.

What a great way to spend an idillic Saturday. The ride, though strenuous, was also very calming. When it was over, I was in a weird, ethereal state of bliss. I felt relaxed and giddy. Things like fire hydrants seemed beautiful to me. Oddly enough, I'm not even that sore today. Just genuinely relaxed.

This morning, I decided to plot the trip with the ever-useful Gmaps pedometer. Naturally, I was a bit taken aback when I zoomed out and saw letters carved into the satellite landscape (see above).

"LUECKE"?

Mystery solved... thanks googlesights:

Apparently someone in the Luecke family, a landowner living between Austin and Houston near Bastrop, TX decided a pattern needed to be visible to landing aircraft, and consequently cleared a forest so that the remaining trees spelt ‘LUECKE’ to the skies. According to local surveyors who planned the clearing, the plan was to create letters that were 3100 x 1700 ft (944.9 x 518.2 m). The sheer size makes it easily visible to even Shuttle missions flying at 543km altitudes, something that has also inspired NASA to use it for orbital photograph research.

The ride was so relaxing that I didn't even think to stop and take photos. I did get one of Matt and I, though... but instead of a shot of Matt "pushing" me off the "ledge", we have a picture of us talking about it. (I guess it took more than 10 seconds to plan that scene.) There are a couple more photos on flickr.

Posted by monica at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

And I thought that nobody read this thing...

Turns out comments were broken. But they are fixed now. Now annoying security b.s. for now, but once the spam starts rolling it, I may once again revisit ask commenters to prove their humanity. Or something like that.

Posted by monica at 09:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Perfectly clear day.
Originally uploaded by spacekadet.

On Monday morning I awoke with, oh maybe not a bounce in my step, but at the very least, a rosy glow in my cheeks, part red-wine, part renewed optimism. But by Monday afternoon I had endured one of the most soul destroying working days of recent memory. I have never been told "your stupid" so diplomatically - it was fairly impressive. Without going into detail, let's just say that my team "got served" by our client.

It happens.

And by Monday evening, I was on my bike, fleeing the scene, listening to "Mad World", feeling once again generally awful about being in this place...

All around me are familiar faces... Worn out places... Worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races... Going no where... Going no where

Like most gutters, this one wasn't as bad as it seemed, and I'm about 95% recovered. But it's hard to dig through my memory, back through a week I'd rather forget, and backwards to the perfection that surrounded me just one week ago.

Joe from Chicago came to town on Thursday night. I took Friday off for the occasion. What followed was a lot of new stuff, and the flood of dopamine tickled my sensory receptors not unpleasantly.

Check out the pictures on Flickr.

I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles its a very very
Mad world

Posted by monica at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

IMG_0346
Originally uploaded by RuggerJoe.

Chicago Joe came to town, and brought his new Digital Rebel (a hot little number, I must say). We did lots of great stuff (which I'll expound upon later) and took loads of pictures. He has some posted on flickr. (I especially like the one of me getting ownzed by a climbing wall.)

More news when I upload mine... but now, it's back to work.

Posted by monica at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Beware
Originally uploaded by raindog.

What I'm here to discuss is my latest coincidence: Canada.

Exhibit A:
My far flung friend and former workmate from the UK goes on a train-facilitated tour through Canada (lucky bastard).

Exhibit 2:
Last Sunday, Matt and I take a hike in McKinney Roughs where, among other things, we talk of places we've been and trips we've taken that have blown our minds. He cites his trip to Canada where, among other things, he was led around a small town by a man who carried a shotgun, just in case a polar bear came to strike.

Exhibit C:
UK friend posts pictures from his Canada trip, including a picture of polar bear warnings.

Exhibit D:
Listening to my iTunes playlist on random, I happen upon a song that catches my ear: "Beautiful Dawn" by The Wailin' Jenny's. A quick bit of research uncovers that the three-woman group originated in Winnipeg, Canada.

Exhibit 5:
The Wailin' Jennys do a cover of "Old Man" by Neil Young. This song was also covered by one of the bands Matt and I saw at Hog Wild, the bar we went to after our hike, where he spoke so fondly of Canada.

Is it just me, or is this network of circumstance too elaborate to be a mere coincidence?

Posted by monica at 03:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pine Cone
Originally uploaded by spacekadet.

On our way back we stopped at a bar called "Cindy's Gone Hog Wild" just off of 71. It was awesome: completely open air, full bar, pool tables, bikers, and a rockin' stage. Turns out, Hog Wild hosts an open mic on Sunday afternoons, and the bands were actually quite good. There's something about a cold beer after a hike in the woods that's especially relaxing. Add some sunshine, a deck, and a band doing a decent cover of Neil Young's "Old Man", and I had myself a pretty near perfect Sunday afternoon.

Posted by monica at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've posted a few pictures from my week in State College, PA. It was an exhausting but thoroughly productive week, and bore no resemblance to my memorable time at MASS.

This, of course, means I shared no moments nor made any friends for a lifetime. But I did pick up a rash.

Yes, my flight was delayed at State College airport, which is the tiniest airport I've ever been to, located in the middle of corn fields. I took the opportunity to go for a walk in the country. While I strolled down desolate roads, I couldn't help but pick up a few leaves that had fallen, bearing the first signs of autumn. And a pine cone! I hadn't smelled a pine cone in years.

And now I'm covered in an itchy rash. On my face, too! I can only think of one place worse to have a rash.

Go Nittany Lions!

Update:

I've identified my rash as Toxicodendron diversilobum, known more commonly as poison oak. I've had poison ivy plenty of times, but never poison oak! How exciting. A new rash. Check!

In my googling, I also found the never dull Rash Hall of Fame.

Posted by monica at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've posted a few pictures from ACL! It was hot as hell but it rocked my world. My only regret is missing Sunday, but that couldn't be helped...

Posted by monica at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)