Running Journal, 2020-02-29

Resting heart rate: 86bpm ~5 minutes after running
Body Mass Index (BMI): 25.0 (Overweight = 25–29.9)
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 2,080 cal/day
Weather: clear
Temp: 10.6 C (51 F) wind 2 mph gusts
Time: 5:38-6:38 a.m. (60 minutes)
Terrain: Hilly
Comments: Leap year day run to OPERS and back. Two laps at OPERS field tonight, with breaks to play HPWU. Felt energized at the end although a bit lightheaded at times, probably from looking down at the phone. Lungs felt exercised. Weather was a bit chilly with some light wind while at the OPERS field. Stopped briefly to let two adolescent black-tailed deer cross the running path. A handful of people slacklining and playing volleyball and tennis and basketball. Pretty quiet. Saw a student filming a black garbage bag he had placed over a street light globe near the Digital Arts Research Center (DARC) building. On my outbound run, I had passed the guy as he unsuccessfully tried to put the bag over a different street light.
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): ~6.3 km (3.9 mi)
Weight (after run; clothed): 86.1 kg (190.0 lb)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Muscles felt a bit stiff earlier from my Thursday run, but felt fine once I was running
Foods eaten today: oatmeal with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, banana, and chopped walnuts, The Buttery chocolate cheesecake with chocolate sprinkles and chocolate graham cracker base, coffee, spring mix salad with balsamic dressing,

Running Journal, 2020-02-27

Resting heart rate: 90bpm ~5 minutes after running; 80bpm ~45 minutes after running
Body Mass Index (BMI): 25.0 (Overweight = 25–29.9)
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 2,081 cal/day
Weather: clear
Temp: 16 C (61 F) 0 mph wind
Time: 5:35-6:15 a.m. (50 minutes)
Terrain: Hilly
Comments: Beautiful dusk run to OPERS and back. People slack lining, playing spikeball, swimming, and what looked like a group doing cross fit (sprinting, jogging, and weights). Saw a student at Rachel Carson College writing on an oversized paper tablet, with "RESOLUTION:" at the top. A Humanities event was ongoing in the music buildings.
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): ~5.6 km (3.46 mi)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Left knee felt a bit sore at first but went away.
Foods eaten today: banana, cereal & milk, coffee, breakfast burrito, green olives, fig bar, bagel and cream cheese, macadamia nut ice cream, apple

Kevin Voted Today (By Mail)

Federal Contests

• President of the United States: Elizabeth Warren
• United States Representative: Jimmy Panetta

State Contests

• State Senator: John Laird (17th district)
• Member of the State Assembly: Mark Stone (29th district)

State Ballot Measures

• Y: California Proposition 13: School and College Facilities Bond

City

• N: Glover Recall Election
• Candidate to succeed Drew Glover as Santa Cruz City Councilmember if he is recalled: Tim Fitzmaurice
• N: Krohn Recall Election
• Candidate to succeed Chris Krohn as Santa Cruz City Councilmember if he is recalled: Katherine Beiers
• Y: Measure W, City Construction Charter Amendment
• Y: Measure X, School District Trustee Charter Amendment

Judicial

• Judge of the Superior Court: Annrae Angel

School
Cabrillo Community College District

• Y: Measure R

Santa Cruz City High School District

• Y: Measure T

Santa Cruz City Elementary School District

• Y: Measure U

Green Apple Scavenger Hunt - UCSC Rachel Carson College Dining Hall

The green apple displayed at the entrance to the UCSC Rachel Carson College Dining Hall has gone missing!

I'm documenting the scavenger game to find it below. I am NOT affiliated with anyone involved and am doing this only to memorialize it for myself.

In Fall Quarter of 2018, the UCSC students in ARTG 129 - "Special Topics in Game Design" ran an Alternate Reality Game, Guardians of the UCSC. So I'm kind of hoping they're the same folks behind this--but maybe not! Edits will be sporadic and most likely incomplete.

TIMELINE

Last updated 03/08/2020 around 8:00 p.m. (SMS communications from 03/04/2020)

03/04/2020 (Wednesday)

SMS group conversation (presumably with everyone who signed up? Phone numbers posted to give the flavor of the conversation but redacted a bit to respect privacy):

12:30–12:36 p.m.

(408) 703-xxxx:

Where’s the Apple????

(650) 933-xxxx:

bet he's fucking dead

(408) 703-xxxx:

Free it already 🤬

(831) 298-9291: 

Now on sale only $49.99

(408) 703-xxxx:

You have no right to sell it 😤

(831) 298-9291: 

It’s not a sell, it’s a trade

I’m not fucking dead!

Photo of the RCC dining hall green apple sitting on a table. Photo name: 2020-03-04.jpg

A hand is shown holding the RCC dining hall green apple above a table. The apple appears to have a dent or cut near the base, revealing the white interior. Photo name: 2020-03-04.jpg

(714) 588-xxxx:

don't touch the apple like that he doesn't like it

(408) 703-xxxx:

Why tf r there white stuff marks on it huh

5:00 p.m.

(831) 316-xxxx:

Sounds like the 03/01/2020 hostage exchange at OPERS field failed 😅

7:55 p.m.

(408) 703-xxxx:

^ditto

Y’all Bette return it to its home

Better

*end SMS conversation*

Notes:

• Sender breaks character
• Apple seems damaged; unclear whether incurred recently
• Selling the apple seems ... sad
• Seems more likely this represents a non-class project (?)

02/28/2020 (Friday)

SMS group conversation (presumably with everyone who signed up? Phone numbers posted to give the flavor of the conversation but redacted a bit to respect privacy):

10:25 a.m.:

(831) 316-xxxx:
Can we get a proof of life photo please? TY!

02/24/2020 (Monday)

12:18–12:48 p.m. 

SMS group conversation (presumably with everyone who signed up? Phone numbers posted to give the flavor of the conversation but redacted a bit to respect privacy):

(831) 298-9291: 
Hi beautiful Slugs, I'm the apple, thank god you're the savior! Please please please find me and save me! ! ❤️

(949) 309-xxxx: 

let her go you monster :(

she gets scared easily

(408) 703-xxxx: 

Don’t assume apple’s gender

Rude

(916) 798-xxxx: 🍏 miss u

(714) 588-xxxx:

Emphasized “Don’t assume apple’s gender”

i miss u big apple :( u made me happy everytime i saw u

(925) 980-xxxx:

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom I can tell you I don't have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you, but if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you

(714) 588-xxxx: i hope they're feeding u well

(408) 703-xxxx: :’) aww

(831) 298-9291: 
love u❤️

they locked me up, but I don't recognize their faces. On Saturday they brought me out and took a couple of photos of me, i don't konw what for

I'm just an innocent apple

😭😭😭

(408) 703-xxxx: Dw go to sleep now,you’ll be safe in ur dreams

(831) 298-9291: 

they untied me but I can’t move cause I’m an apple

Photo of the RCC dining hall green apple sitting on a chair, unrestrained by cords. Photo name: 2020-02-24.jpg

(949) 309-xxxx:

How are you texting us then? 🤔🤔

Something fishy is going on here

This isn't the apple I know and love

This is her captivators isn't it

(831) 298-9291: 

the hostage takers untied me from the chair but I can’t move cause i'm an apple

i'm using my burner phone that they didn't find

(408) 703-xxxx:

We will save you soon ☝️

Did they steal your plastic box cover too

(831) 298-9291: 

Yeah it was taken

(408) 703-xxxx:

The dh is so busy

How did you get kidnapped 😮

(831) 298-9291: 

They must have the key to my room in dh! It was at night and I was half conscious, they opened the glass door and knocked me out. I couldn’t see their faces but the last word I heard was Porter

I honestly have no clue, I don’t know these people! And I’m scared!

Aight I gotta run they’re coming

(949) 309-xxxx:

it was an inside job

Fire all the rcc workers 😭

*end SMS conversation*

Notes:

• I laughed out loud at "they untied me but I can’t move cause I’m an apple"
• Photos on the hosting service have datetime stamps (e.g., 2020-02-23, 2020-02-24), so presumably we get a new one each day (?)
• The SMS number is local 831 area code and different than the 730 area code (Alberta, Canada) used to sign-up ... it's a nice touch, presumably tied to the burner phone the apple hid
• First big clue: Porter!

02/23/2020 (Sunday)

3:42 p.m.

SMS (780) 900-1653:
Important update to all participants, do not discard! We received inside source confirming that the RCC dining hall apple is scheduled to be exchanged by the hostage taker at Opers field at exactly 2:00 pm, 3/1/2020.

Photo of the RCC dining hall green apple sitting on a chair, restrained with several cords of the type one might use for climbing or hiking. A hand is shown holding a box cutter--razor extended--toward the apple, in what seems like a threatening manner. Photo name: 2020-02-23.jpg

02/21/2020 (Friday)

11:43 p.m.

Reddit user fred29056 posts:
Rescue Rachel Carson Dining Hall Apple!

Are you tired of the strike? I'm the green apple from Rachel Carson Dining Hall! I am lost and lonely. Come find me! To rescue me, please text at (780) 900-1653. Thanks, Slugs 😘

Photo of the RCC dining hall green apple sitting on a dormitory desk, illuminated by a task light. Photo name: yl21vccxifi41.jpg

Photo of the RCC dining hall green apple sitting on dormitory carpet (blue), next to a ruler, for proof of size. Photo name: kp4v6rvsifi41.jpg

SMS to (780) 900-1653 (around mid-day) results in this exchange:

(780) 900-1653: Thank you for contacting Fred! May I have your first name please?
  Provide name(780) 900-1653: Good morning name! Please Reply YES to accept the scavenger hunt challenge; reply STOP to opt out.
  YES
(780) 900-1653: Your number is added to the list, name! You will receive update information about the scavenger hunt within the next 48 hours.

Notes:

• Photo file names (not sure if relevant):
• yl21vccxifi41.jpg
• kp4v6rvsifi41.jpg

02/20/2020 (Thursday)

Reddit user lookingskyward_ posts:

Subject:Found outside rcc, dont call the number

Flyer found near RCC, with header "WANTED: RCC APPLE STOLEN"

It reads [sic.]:

WANTED 

RCC APPLE STOLEN 

Suspect descreption:

• electric Blue hair

• red stripped shoe

• HEINOUS personality     ** residing at porter!!

Accomplice (???):

• goth

• Gay

• stup*d

ARTIST RENDITION 

[Images of two cartoon characters:

1. Sonic the Hedgehog (in bare feet)
2. Shadow the Hedgehog (with firearm)

note: A red line is drawn from "Suspect description" to the image of Sonic, and a blue line is drawn from "Accomplice" to Shadow. A red arrow also points to the red pair of shoes lying next to Sonic.] 

please help us catch them they are VERY dangerous and veyr fast and so so scary please no more crime crime is evil and sinful and bad. than k you
if seen call 911 or call (575)-578-3015

(end of flyer)

The number (575)-578-3015 goes to voicemail and seems cribbed from a Car Impersonator flyer belonging to Alan Wagner, "an L.A.-based comedian who, along with creative partner Sydney Marquez, has turned absurdist, real-life memes into an art form":

https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/truewagner-bathe-in-my-milk/

Their Instagram page shows the Car Impersonator flyer and many other creations they have posted in their neighborhood:

https://www.instagram.com/truewagner/

The voicemail says something like:

Hi this is Carlton.
Uh, let me know if you want me to do it.
Let me know some of what your favorite cars are.
And you can fill me in on what, uh, shape they are generally and what kind of noise they make so I know what to do when I show up.
Uh, Yeah, let me know if it's for kids or nudes. Thanks.

So, edgy/weird comedy and a sort of weird/edgy flyer.

02/15/2020 (Saturday)

10:35 p.m.

Reddit user mischief-moony posts: 

It’s been a few days since someone stole the giant green apple from rc dining hall and I have not see a single post about it. y’all we need to get that apple back where it belongs.

Notes:
Unclear if mischief-moony in on this (?)

Running Journal, Saturday, 2020-02-22

Resting heart rate: 70bpm around 30 minutes after running
Body Mass Index (BMI): 25.0 (Overweight = 25–29.9)
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 2,081 cal/day
Weather: overcast
Temp: 12 C (54 F) 0 mph wind
Time: 8:15-:8:55 a.m. (38 minutes)
Terrain: Hilly
Comments: Dawn poked me into running today and it went better than I expected, as I felt a bit drained. About two dozen deer feeding on grass at the far corner of OPERS field. On the way back, assisted two speakers (maybe Lexi B?) driving to the UCSC's Womxn's Career Summit at the Stevenson Event Center. Beautiful weather for running/walking.
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): ~4.8 km (3.3 mi); 7.4 km (4.6 mi) (running + walking total)
Weight (after run; workout clothes): 86.0 kg (189.5 lb)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: OK; felt a bit tired from walking a lot on Friday due to the COLA strikes
Foods eaten today: oatmeal (with banana and crushed walnuts), coffee, dark chocolate-covered espresso beans

Running Journal, Saturday, 2020-02-15

Ran with Dawn today but didn't record any details. Lovely weather. Ran twice around the OPERS field, where many people had gathered for the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Championships. View of Monterey Bay was obscured by mist, in part. Observed power washing of the Hahn Student Services Building, and amateur filming of a handful of mountain bikers. Tried to cut through the McHenry Library, but it did not open until 11:00 a.m. The Music Center Recital Hall was hosting an opera:

Family Opera: Massenet's "Cinderella"
The UCSC Opera presents its annual  production  for families with an English adaptation of Massenet's Cinderella. In partnership with the Watsonville branch of Santa Cruz County's El Sistema music education program, UCSC singers will present a 45-minute English adaptation of Massenet's Cendrillon (Cinderella). With a chorus of mice from Watsonville's Radcliffe Elementary School, and scenic design by Santa Cruz artist Dave Gardner, this production is a gift to the community. Massenet's ethereal score will delight audiences of all ages. 

Come early to meet the cast and color a coloring page in the lobby.

Sanguk Kim conducts. Sheila Willey directs. Colin Hannon accompanies on piano.

We noticed someone had removed a glass globe from a street lamp at the base of the Rachel Carson College stairs, in Meyer Meadow. 

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Anime Run

This new anime premiered in Japan on January 5, 2020, and we have watched on the following dates, as it becomes available:

1. 2020-01-30: "The Greatest World!"
2. 2020-02-09: "The Eizouken Takes the Stage!"
3. 2020-02-09: "Let's Accomplish Something!"
4. 2020-02-09: "Hold That Machete Tight!"
5. 2020-02-09: "An Iron Giant Appears!"
6. 2020-02-16: "Let's Do Better Than Last Time!"
7. 2020-05-31: "I Have To Do It For Myself!"
8. 2020-05-31: "The Grand Shibahama Festival!"
9. 2020-??-??: TBA
10. 2020-??-??: TBA
11. 2020-??-??: TBA
12. 2020-??-??: TBA

Running Journal, Thursday, 2020-02-13

Resting heart rate: 66bpm around 20 minutes after running
Body Mass Index (BMI): 25.2 (Overweight = 25–29.9)
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 2,085 cal/day
Weather: sunset, mostly sunny
Temp: 9 C (48 F) 0 mph wind
Time: 5:29-6:28 p.m. (59 minutes)
Terrain: Hilly
Comments: Stopped frequently to play Wizards Unite, but overall feel pleased with the level of exertion and heart rate. Felt much better than last week, despite my left knee feeling a bit sore at first (from sitting?). At OPERS field, ran past black-tailed deer feeding and (on the opposite side) a golden retriever playing catch. Beautiful sunset view of the ocean from the dining hall patio of Rachel Carson College. Bit chilly so wore long sleeve technical shirt and was fine. Heart rate low. Felt better fueled for the run this time. Also three pounds lighter than last week.
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running + walking total): ~5.3 km (3.3 mi)
Weight (after run; workout clothes): 86.4 kg (190.5 lb)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Left knee felt a bit sore
Foods eaten today: oatmeal (with banana, blueberries, and crushed walnuts), coffee, green olives, Girl Scout cookies (thin mints and smores), sushi (brown rice salmon and avocado), sushi (brown rice cucumber and avocado), avocado sandwich, strawberry gummy candy, edamame, pinot noir

Running Journal, Friday, 2020-02-06

Resting heart rate: 77bpm around 20 minutes after running
Body Mass Index (BMI): 25.6 (Overweight = 25–29.9)
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 2,104 cal/day
Weather: sunset, clear
Temp: 10 C (50 F) 0 mph wind
Time: 5:10-5:50 p.m. (40 minutes)
Terrain: Hilly
Comments: Sunset run around campus. Felt ok, but quite over-exerted at the end. Light-headed and breathing hard. Lot of tension in my upper shoulders/neck, plus not probably not fueling right. Wasn't as electric and strong a run as on 01/24, but more steady pace this time, so I think I ended up running farther in one go, though less overall. Lots of people out on the OPERS field. Saw a group playing roundnet (also known as spikeball; how to play), lacrosse players, people tossing a football, slacklining, and over a dozen black-tailed deer. There was someone holding clipboards with signs near Cowell Service Road (?). Ran a bit more to get up to Hahn Student Services, but then chose to walk the rest of the way home due to just feeling wiped. Weather was perfect. Nice and cool.
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): ~3.5 km (2.2 mi); Total (running + walking): ~5.25 km (3.25 mi)
Weight (after run; clothed): 87.7 kg (193.5 lb)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: No pains, but felt over-exerted and lightheaded ... two much tension in shoulders plus not fueling appropriately (?)
Foods eaten today: oatmeal (with banana, raspberries, blueberries, and crushed walnuts), coffee, almonds, green olives, mixed garden salad with balsamic dressing, mini fiery Snickers, fizzy water, brown rice with four Bibigo Bulgogi Beef Mandu (Korean potstickers)