Harmonicas and Lazy Sunsets

Listening to Elis Regina's and Toots Thielemans' 1969 album "Aquarela do Brasil" these past few days at work. Fantastic work all-around, especially Toots' harmonica work and Elis' unbelievable vocals.

What has struck me is how the harmonica in this instance is such a nice, relaxing, mellow instrument. It reminds me of the sunset and the ending song "Burning Bridges" from the movie Kelly's Heroes (video). Everything's going to be all right.

Radio Songs

Heard this evening on 89.5 FM KVMR out of Nevada City, NV:

• Kilcloon, County Meath, Ireland-native Lisa Hannigan's "I Don't Know" from her 2008 album "Sea Saw" on the Hoop (Ireland) and Barp/ATO Records (USA) labels. Video. Also.

Heard on 103.5 FM KBMB out of Sacramento, CA:

• Atlanta-native Bobby Ray's "Nothin' On You" from his 2010 album "The Adventures of Bobby Ray"on the Grand Hustle Records, Atlantic Records, and Rebel Rock labels. Video. Liked the lyrics "You're my Wonder Woman; call me Mr. Fantastic." XD
  
  
• New Orleans-native Lil Wayne's "Bedrock" from his 2009 album "We Are Young Money" on the Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal labels. Video. Liked the lyrics "Call me Mr. Flintstone I can make your bed rock." XD

And...

The most frustrating thing is hearing a song on the radio and not knowing who sings it. x_x Google's got nothin'.

Lyrics: "...and December..."; "...carries weight..."; "...feelings psychotic..."; "...suffers..."; "...can I..."; "...what I saw....". Anyone? :P I think it was on 91.5 FM KYDS out of Sacramento, CA as I drove to work this morning around 7:00 a.m.

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-17

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-17
Resting heart rate: 68 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.251
Weather: sunny, pleasant
Temp: 21 C (69.8 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No entries Monday/Tuesday due to school pressures. Up late both nights and got the assignment in on time. ^_^;;; No exercise today. Should call these entries "Non-running journal" entries, but keeping them as running journal keeps up my motivation. Dawn is studying for her test on Friday so no exercise until Friday evening at the earliest. Purchased Injinji crew toe-socks for her Vibram Five Fingers KSOs. She reports they fit well and will hopefully prevent further blisters. Was focusing on the sock size at REI and did not think about the crew (calf-length)/mini-crew (ankle-length)/micro-crew (sub-ankle-length) distinction. x_x;;; So the crew pair will only be good for winter running. Will return and inspect other socks on another day. I am still finding it grounding to take my pulse and weight at the end of each day. :) My seven-day running average for weight is 83.475 kg (184.0 lb) and for pulse is 65.875 bpm. So that is my baseline going forward.

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (182.98 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Legs a little stiff; not really anything of note.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins, orange juice + vanilla soy protein powder, heart-shaped raviolis + butternut squash sauce, breaded eggplant cutlet, brown rice + madras lentils, orange juice, multi-vitamin, moshi + chocolate ice cream, raw unsalted almonds and walnuts, Jelly Bellies,

Love

Dawn and I have been together for nearly four years and each day seems better than the last.

<3 <3 <3

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-14

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-14
Resting heart rate: 69 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.25
Weather: sunny, pleasant
Temp: 18 C (64.4 F)
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Terrain: flat

Comments: Finally! :D Back to the American River Parkway after a week off for recovery. Remembered a few things we forgot last time--sunblock, lip balm. Forgot to purchase an American River Parkway parking pass, so we parked on the street near American River Drive. Ran east for 1.5 miles, then returned. Observed many mushrooms along the bike trail; two flowering nut trees (almond?), a snowy egret, a swan, ducks, horses. A mother had stopped her bike to console her child, who was crying in her bike carrier. Dawn wore her Vibram Five Fingers KSOs for the first time; she loves them. Her left foot ended up with two big blisters--perhaps Injinji toe socks or moleskin for future runs. We walked back along the levee, looking at the abundance of fruit on the ground from the ripe grapefruit and orange trees along the fence line. At home, we gulped down chocolate milk as a post-run energy booster. A beautiful day; almost nice enough to entertain the idea of tubing. :)

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (182.98 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Legs a little stiff; not really anything of note.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins + banana, grapefruit (local), whole wheat tortilla wrap with shredded carrots + garlic hummus + spinach + tofu chicken strips, kiwi, blackberries, chocolate milk, heart-shaped raviolis + butternut squash sauce, garlic bread, wine, cheesecake, steamed vegetables + spinach,

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-02-13

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-02-13
Resting heart rate: 63 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.43
Weather: sunny, pleasant
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No run/walk today. Dawn purchased a pair of Vibram Five Fingers today from California Canoe and Kayak. I decided to hold off purchasing the pair of gray/palm-colored KSO shoes because I wanted to see if the black or gray-blue camo shoes were available from other local retailers. If not I may go back and purchase the pair. Tomorrow is our first running day in one week! :) A quick run of only 1-2 miles to feel out the VFFs.

Weight (after exercise): 83.6 kg (184.31 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins + banana, grapefruit, veggie burger on whole wheat with half an avocado + American cheese + ketchup, can of low-sodium V-8, banana, whole-wheat wrap with plain hummus + spinach + tofu chicken strips + shredded carrot, hummus with country-bread, chocolate, orange juice, blackberries

Running Journal, Friday, 2010-02-12

Running Journal, Friday, 2010-02-12
Resting heart rate: 60 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.31
Weather: moderate
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No run/walk today. Grocery shopping night: Costco, Trader Joes, Safeway. So quite a bit of walking while pushing a cart. A far cry from the American River Parkway.

Weight (after exercise): 83.2 kg (183.4 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins, grapefruit, Jelly Bellies, veggie burger on whole wheat with half an avocado and American cheese, can of low-sodium V-8, handful of walnuts and almonds, one cup of green matcha tea, granny smith apple, bit of Trader Joes chocolate ganache torte with fresh strawberries, hummus with whole wheat pita loaf

Memmi and Tsuyu

That is all.

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-02-11

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-02-11
Resting heart rate: 67 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.54
Weather: spot of rain this evening
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No run/walk today. Dawn is doing homework and I am catching up on a few other tasks. Dawn reports her legs feel almost back to normal. Mine feel normal. So: five-mile run takes 3-4 (relatively sore) days to recover from. I find taking my pulse each evening a grounding moment, even for just the 60 seconds it takes.

Weight (after exercise): 84.0 kg (185.19 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, Jelly Bellies, Amy's organic bean and cheese burrito, Mikawaya chocolate mochi ice-cream (Trader Joes), can of low-sodium V-8, peach yogurt, brown rice with Tasty Bite madras lentils, steamed mixed vegetables, spiced naan bread (Trader Joes), two cups of green matcha tea, granny smith apple, kiwi, orange juice

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-10

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-10
Resting heart rate: 66 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.54
Weather: outside, mostly sunny
Temp: ambient mall temperature
Time: evening-ish
Terrain: flat

Comments: Walking day today as we continue to recover from our five-mile run on Sunday. Toured the mall again, then visited a Barnes and Noble book store, then walked back through the mall. Not as new today as it was Monday. We walked around Sears, upstairs and downstairs. Sears sells this thing called a Portable Dust Collector which has a big six-inch diameter hose; it tickled me. Sears has also partnered with LL Cool J to sell his line of clothing. I wish retailers sold more navy-colored coats. Barnes and Noble had only one interesting book on Linux systems programming. Both Ladies Foot Locker and the Skechers shoe store are side-by-side and have identical promotional displays of the Skechers Shape-Ups shoes; I forgot to check whether one was more expensive. Going past the food courts is difficult; especially when we decided to eat after the walk concluded.

Weight (after exercise): 84.0 kg (185.19 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Almost back to normal.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, cottage cheese, Jelly Bellies, leftover tortellini with acorn squash sauce, chocolate mochi ice-cream, can of low-sodium V-8, blueberry yogurt, fried egg sandwich on whole wheat with avocado + American cheese + ketchup, spinach salad with champagne-pear vinaigrette,

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-02-09

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-02-09
Resting heart rate: 63 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.31
Weather: partly sunny
Temp: 9.4 C (49 F)
Time: evening-ish
Terrain: flat

Comments: Walking day as we recover from the run on Sunday. We walked around the American River College campus, visiting the gymnasium and looking at the weight room and exercise facilities. We both sensed it seemed mostly geared toward students in Kinesiology classes, so weight training will most likely be done at 24 Hour Fitness. Picked up the most recent issue of the American River Current and an issue of the Asian Pacific American News and Review. We viewed the library construction as well as the temporary library housed in trailers across from the gymnasium. It felt nice to go for a stroll. Dawn was in some pain from Sunday's run; walking up and down stairs and inclines caused a noticeable look of pain. :( It is grounding to take my pulse and weight again after such a long time. The daily fluctuations will hopefully continue to trend downwards. :)

Weight (after exercise): 83.2 kg (183.42 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Leg muscles are about as stiff as on Monday; this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. :)
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, cherry tomatoes, Jelly Bellies, smoothie, leftover tortellini with acorn squash sauce, lemon-ginger tea, chocolate mochi ice-cream (still very good! :D ), Costco veggie pizza slice, salad with Italian dressing, small tin of peaches, handful of walnuts and almonds, peach yogurt

Running Journal, Monday, 2010-02-08

Running Journal, Monday, 2010-02-08
Resting heart rate: 66 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.49
Weather: night
Temp: ambient mall temperature
Time: evening-ish
Terrain: flat

Comments: Walking day. This evening we walked at the Arden Fair Mall. The perfume in the air made me gag in the basement of Macy's. I think I caught a pocket directly into the back of my throat; normally it does not affect me that way. Found a nice navy sweater but it will have to wait until we can pay off some bills! My heart rate is down, but that may be because last night I took a reading after washing dishes.

Weight (after exercise): 83.8 kg (184.7 lb)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Leg muscles are stiff from yesterday. x_x I am doing OK; sort of worried about Tuesday though. :P The second day is always the worst.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, cherry tomatoes, Jelly Bellies, hummus and soy meat wrap, leftover tortellini with acorn squash sauce, spinach salad with cilantro dressing, milk, orange juice, strawberries, granny smith apple, lemon-ginger tea, chocolate mochi ice-cream (this was new and very good! :D )

Shanta

Heard this caller's name on a recent NPR episode of Click and Clack. Shanta means "peace" or "serenity" in Hindi. I like it!

William Poundstone

I heard an interview between Douglass Everett of KDVS 90.3's Radio Parallax and author William Poundstone (cousin of comedian Paula Poundstone) this week. He talked about his latest book, "Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It)". Sounds interesting, so I thought I would index it here.

Radio Songs

Heard this week on KYDS 90.5:

Baldwin, Long Island, New York-based Straylight Run's "I Know It Hasn't Been Easy", a bonus track on their 2007 album "The Needles the Space" on the Universal Records label.

What is a Doula?

That's what I wondered today when I saw a car with business web site "My3Doulas.com" on the back window.

Well, it turns out not only is there such a thing as a doula, but there are certified doulas!

"A doula is a neutral third party, non-judgmental woman caregiver, with a knowledgeable and quiet presence at your birth and/or in your home. Birth doulas offer continuous emotional and non-pharmacological support through labor and birth. Postpartum doulas bring that same level of care and support into your home as you recover from birth and adjust to life as a new parent."

How about that. :)

So Why No Parking at North Bridge Street?

The Fair Oaks Village Enhancement Committee minutes may have the answer.

From the Aug 5, 2009 public meeting notes:

15. Bridge Street
a. Safety and fire hazard issues.
b. Proposal to close off parking on Donner, east side of Temascal.
c. Yoga studio has issues with parking.
d. Next meeting is on September 14.
i. Highly recommend for a FOVEC member to attend.
e. Overflow on Capitola and Grand.
f. Parks are not budging on pre-paid parking.
g. Coordinate with Omni-Means regarding this issue.

I inquired via an e-mail to see if more context might be found.

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-07

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-07
Resting heart rate: 73 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.25
Weather: partly sunny
Temp: 14.4 C
Time: early afternoonish
Terrain: flat with mild hills

Comments: A full spectrum of clouds this afternoon on display. Everything from sun-illuminated white puffs to gray, scudding rain clouds. The sun poked through sporadically, and when it did the Parkway came alive with color. The air was humid with the smell of earth and plants released after fresh rains. Avian wildlife was abundant: snowy egrets, ducks, all manner of smaller birds. We initially attempted to park at north Bridge Street, as we customarily do, but found the street is now posted No Parking all the way up. A shock and disappointment; it was my favorite places to park, with the wide tree canopy and easy access to the beautiful pedestrian bridge. Instead, we traveled farther upstream to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery parking lot. There too, things have changed dramatically. The Flatiron construction company (http://www.flatironcorp.com/) has begun what seems to be a project to expand the Hazel Bridge overpass. About half the parking lot was available, but we succeeded in finding a spot. This was the first time I have been running for many months. Probably since at least December 2008. The run itself was rather uneventful. We traveled approximately 4.2 km (2.5 mi) downstream to the Bridge Street pedestrian bridge, then circled back. Today we practiced running on the balls of our feet, something labeled "Pose running," in order to reduce the amount of stress on the knees. The initial run was a mild success. My knee feels relatively OK; a mild amount of soreness, but no pain (yet). My heart rate is much higher than it was during the heyday of 2006 marathon training, when at times it dropped as low as 49 bpm. The weather was fantastic. Couldn't ask for better conditions. The heat from the sun and the car's heater combined to dry my hair on the way home. First though, we stopped at the Sunflower Drive In restaurant in Fair Oaks and purchased a non-fat yogurt chocolate shake. Delicious.

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (183 lb)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right knee mildly sore

Spring 2010 Class Schedule

Things change quickly. When I last posted about grad school plans, I hoped to take CSC 139, Operating System Principles (3 units) at CSUS, MW 5:30-6:45 p.m., and CISP 453, Introduction to Systems Programming (4 units), at ARC, MW 10:30-11:50 a.m., and Lab from 12:00-1:20 p.m..

Then CSUS canceled the MW 5:30-6:45 p.m. section of CSC 139, leaving section 1, TR 3:00-4:15 p.m.

CSUS also canceled the MWF 4:00-5:10 p.m. section of STAT 50 (4 units). x_x

Also, an alternate class, CSC 132 - Computing Theory (3 units) TR 4:00-5:15 p.m., has been changed to TR 1:30-2:45 p.m.

So, it appears my new schedule will be CSC 132 and CSC 139:

1. CSC 60 - Intro System Program Unix (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 TR 1:30-2:45 p.m. (Chung Wang)
  
  
2. CSC 132 - Computing Theory (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 TR 1:30-2:45 p.m. (Meiliu Lu)
  
  
3. CSC 139 - Operating System Principles (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 TR 3:00-4:15 p.m. (Du Zhang)
  
  
4. CISP 453 - Introduction to Systems Programming (4 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 MW 10:30-11:50 a.m. + Lab 12:00-1:20 p.m.. (Tak Auyeung)

Burberry

Dawn and I visited a Burberry store this evening. We both liked the Navy Harwood Officer's Overcoat:



Originally $1,100, on sale for $750. :P Do I go to college this semester or buy the coat!? x_x

Also, the Burberry Bonded Cotton Field Jacket in Navy:



$895. x_x

Also, Dawn liked this Burberry wool military coat (royal purple):


Originally $1,495, on sale for $1,099. :P