1
Mar
2006
Sappy movies, gym and fine dining
Boy-oww-boy do I enjoy my weekends, when there is no university to keep you busy there is a lot of extra time you can put towards extra curricular activities.
Friday evening: after coming back from a great cardio session [45min of leg extensions/lying leg curls, 30min of elliptical, 20 min of running] I spent some time with the old Television. I watched A lot like Love: romantic story about two people who meet over the years slowly discovering how much they mean to each other. Charmed by Amanda Peel’s personality I instantly fell in to helpless state of loneliness. Boy, it’s moments like that which make the idea of single-bachelorhood truly a depressing state of mind.
Thankfully the feeling didn’t last long. With some residual mopiness I was back to my usual self. Working out always cheers me up so that’s what I did. This time I decided to push my self a little harder [I was curious to see improvements]. To might delight I was able to bench 195pnds at the end of a long 10 set routine. Two hour workout followed by a one hour swimming session, by the end I was exhausted, hungry and in a blissful state of euphoria.
So finally we get to the main attraction: what happens when you got a bunch of starving guys? That’s right you go out to eat, this time we choose a Mexican restaurant. We show up the place is literally empty, we check our watch its mere 9pm, the waiter comes out and tells us that they stopped serving dinner and the only available food is on the front page of the menu [ze appetizers]. We quickly change glances, “this place is not going to stay in-business for long”, I think to my self. We turn around and start heading towards the exit door, then suddenly the waiter stops yells hay guys come back the kitchen is sill open. As I follow the guy to our table, I can’t help but to picture a face of a devastated cook who was just about to leave and now has to prepare my meal. I am not a religious man but for that instance I stop and pray; hoping that my meal doesn’t become closely acquainted with the floor [or God forbid some other discussing element]. While we munch on our warm chips and cold salsa a conversation breaks out discussing grad school, it is a good topic; it keeps my mind of the growling stomach. The food finally arrives and what a sight, the dish looks like something that would be served in an expensive 5 star restaurant. It is a delicately arranged combination of meat, vegetables and rice. Grilled Chicken breast topped with Spinach and Mushrooms and a Garlic-Jalapeno cream sauce, sliced Avocado served with sautéed vegetables and Texas rice. I dig in and my taste buds go somewhere heavenly. We continue talking but I barely pay attention to what is said, I concentrate on one thing and one thing only: the Rio Grande Chicken sensation.
It’s 6am, I have already passed that thresh-hold where you want to go to sleep, but it must be done, tomorrow working-week begins again and I need to be on my toes. As I watch the sun rise on the horizon I drag my self to bed, cover up and close my eyes, the day was hard but the reward is finally here. I sleep.
28
Feb
2006
Winter wonderland
Weather conditions get more and more dramatic with every passing year. Typically when ever the temperatures drop and the snow begins to fall I eagerly start checking the weather network [examining weekly forecasts in search of a perfect day to go skiing]. This Sunday was one of those perfect days.
Despite lack of good night rest and a nagging two hour drive the spectacle before my eyes filled me with excitement. Etched through by slim tree-lines you could see little dots slowly coming down the mountain, the rush has began and I was eager to join the fun. Quickly strapping all my equipment I was ready to hit the slopes in matter of minutes. Once on the hill I was not disappointed, the tracks were well groomed [typical annoyance of a bumpy slope was eliminated]. Because this was a Sunday a large chunk of population already gone home so the lines-ups were nothing to complain about either.
Approximately at noon we decided to take our well deserved lunch. While arriving at one of the mountain bases we noticed a luxurious room [slightly hidden by semi one-way windows]. Eager to sit down and rest we jogged to the location and claimed our spots. Of course this room was not a typical place where every other Joe could enjoy a fine cooked meal, it was an employees lounge [hence all the available spaces]. Surprisingly no one bothered to asks us to leave [not that we would have, the hell hole that was happening in the neighboring public-area was not something I was looking forward to join and was willing to put up a fight to remain where I was].
After a rejuvenating lunch we continued our assault on the mountain and managed to ski for four straight hours. Taking another break was an essential part of keeping our energy going. While the snow-plover machines buffered the slopes for the evening stretch I slowly sipped my hot chocolate with my feel elevated in parallel angle to the ground. There is nothing better then drinking a hot-sugar-filled beverage right before the final push.
After energetic pit stop I [as usual] was eager to get back on the slopes. As we left our warm surroundings for the final time some of my companions were a little hesitant about starting up again. Although I did not share their feelings I could not blame them, we covered more then enough ground for one day and this was simply an attempt to get our money’s worth. As a result I decided to go ahead and test [how fast] I can go. Leaving my comrades behind, I began my one hour sprint. Originally I hoped to do ten runs in one hour but after taking five minutes to get up on the hill I realized the impossibility of my benchmark. Taking no more then a minute to get down the hill I managed to finish eight spectacular rushes. Keeping up with some youthful races only helped my motivation.
On our return, fully pumped with adrenaline I turned in to a blabbering machine, talking non stop for almost two hours. Those in the car were quite surprised with the abundance of energy that I was providing, and for that matter quite eager to find out that so much talking eventually sprained my voice.
In retrospect the day was a brilliant combination of good company and perfect skiing conditions. If the weather remains good, I will surely try to come back and conquer the mountain yet another time.
Until we meet again,
Yours truly,
Adrenaline Junky!
24
Feb
2006
Trick: getting to work on time [OR NOT]
So what does it take to get to work on time, clearly not my dedication to rigorous sleeping habits!
It was silent when I woke up; in a typical self preserving state I probably turned off my alarm clock seven minutes before. Haven taken extra time of sleep I can tell you right now that I was pleased my body didn’t take advantage of this minor slip up [7 minutes is quite excusable].
As usual: I slowly made my way to the kitchen, while turning on the kettle I discovered that we are almost out of drinking water [a fact that made me shiver, realizing that I would have to purchase another 10L case of bottles sometime in the evening]. Being in a semi rotten mood [wouldn’t you be if you had to get up at six in the morning every day just to get to work at 8:30?] I convinced my self to go back to bed and close my eyes while the kettle was warming up. Hahaha you might have guessed that resting my eyes turned in to 25 minutes of beautiful snoozing. When I abruptly woke up: was I freaking out? Surprisingly, no.
Having my tea with a sandwich [composed of bread + slice of cheese + two slices of finely sliced pork] gave me enough energy to take a shower. By the time I finished with a shower and a shave I was already 30 minutes behind schedule. Thinking that I would have to fudge some numbers on my weekly time card [at work], I slowly made my way to the dresser. Not really eager to take a look at the clock [when you know you are late, who wants to be reminded of that] I glanced. The next ten seconds involved feelings of shock and amazement. I quickly ran in to the living room discovering I was not hallucinating.
Ladies and gentlemen, while beating my self up about oversleeping, inadvertently I ended up waking up one hour ahead of schedule.
Have any of you seen Fight Club? Do you recall the time when the narrator realizes that he is Tyler Durden. The monolog goes something like “Have I been going to sleep earlier every night, have I been waking up earlier every morning, have I been more and more Tyler Durden?”.
Curious thoughts started rushing through my head as I left for work, have I been making unconscious effort to take over the world?
I guess we just have to wait and see, but for now I wish you all a pleasant nights rest.
PS: I got to work 45 minutes earlier then usual!
24
Feb
2006
For the love of programming
How Max got his grove back
Change of scenery, sometimes that’s all it takes to snap you back in to the swing of things. Last week I’ve been plagued by a series of tedious programming tasks, in addition to that my sleeping habits of 4-5.5 hours a night took away what ever motivation I had left.
As you probably read my last entry I finished reading another Dan Brown’s book which left me without an enjoyable activity on my way to/from work [not that sleeping isn’t enjoyable but I like to feel productive during four hours of daily commute].
So, what is there to do? Simple: take out my trusty laptop and start programming.
I don’t really know what it is about the public transportation but miraculously I was managing to get things done. Embraced by the humming of a standard diesel engine I found my oasis, somehow things just seemed to come to me naturally.
I offer some reasons for this change. Maybe it’s boredom [accompanied by staring down complete strangers], maybe it’s the non-pesticide-infected environment or it’s as simple as applying my love for programming and removing the pressures of office atmosphere [on a subway there is no one to bug you besides the casual crazy person who loves your shoe laces].
End results:
I cleaned up my own code [it runs smoother with fewer errors].
I rewrote someone else’s program using my pre-build functions improving the usability [it actually works now] and efficiency [I cut down the code by 50% and that also includes additional commenting provided by yours truly].
Aren’t I a trooper!
22
Feb
2006
Books and Novels [a typical relaxing weekend]
Deception Point & Underworld: Evolution
Finishing my third novel by Dan Brown took me longer than I expected. Fascinated by his first two books Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons I was eager to read Deception Point. Unfortunately to my surprise the book did not live up to its predecessors [in terms of sequential reading].
Maybe it the plot or the description of characters or maybe it was simply the fact that a conspiracy generated by the American government administration does not seem to be as such a surprise anymore. In general I felt that it was a mediocre read with a few humorous/exciting moments. I was originally hoping to read Digital Fortress but now I am having second thoughts. I wonder what should be the next thing that would occupy me on they subway ride home, for now the stare down with the crazy Torontonians will have to do the trick.
Besides the book I also got the chance to watch the new installment of an ongoing vampire vs. werewolf saga Underworld: Evolution. I found the first movie very intriguing. A few weeks ago I spoke with a Vam-natic [Vampire Flic Fanatic] girl and learned that introduction of a hybrid species was a major no-no in the world of vampire genres. Clearly I was very disappointed to hear that the probability of seeing Michael Corvin was very slim to none. I was pleasantly surprised when that proved to be quite false.
Underworld: Evolution is a direct continuation of the first movie [1h after the first movie ended]. This one captures more of the history allowing audience to appreciate the magnitude of the vampire legacy. With very few cheesy moments, a great historical story line, and an abundance of blood drenchingbloody fighting scenes, Underworld: Evolution has proven to be a worthy sequel.
10
Feb
2006
Relationships and Greatness
How would you define a girl that brings out your greatness?
A friend of mine had this to say on the matter:
“Because I would think that you won’t know that until you get to know her, but that can’t happen until you choose to start going out with. Basically at this point the “infatuation” stage would kick in and the higher concentration of dopamine pumped out by your hypothalamus would indeed make you think she was bringing out your greatness. Ironically, after 1 year (or maybe 2) of going out you would start to believe that she brings out the worst in you. But how could such a turn of events have occurred? Could it be that your hypothalamus pulled the wool over your eyes? Or did she change? Or was she putting on an act on at first to win you over, but now that the comfort level is high, she brings out all her issues and needs and tries to change you (since invariably most girls would like to change guys to make them “better” people). With all of these thoughts swirling around you realize that things must be put to an end before she eats away the core of your being. And so you end it. At this point the sudden drop in the chemical that had made you feel attached (whether or not it was happy attachment by the end) causes you to experience withdrawal symptoms: extreme loneliness, depression, disgust. Assuming you can get over all of this without going back to the girl that clearly would not have changed during the interlude, the chemicals will start to subside and you will go back to being powerfully single once more.
Of course there is another possibility. Perhaps, the girl will actually end up bringing out your “greatness”, it may not be clear how this happens at first because you will first have to get past your dopamine induced high. Eventually though, you will realize that she helps you improve yourself in ways that you would not have reached on your own. She does not look to change you but her influence changes you in spite of that, and it does so for the better. It turns out there was no act on her part and you end up with someone real who develops a strong and unbreakable bond with you. And then, just like that, she’s taken away from you, and once again, you are alone. But, if you are fortunate, that will not be a part of the story, and you will reach a point when nothing and no one can take away from what you have achieved. Personally, I’m a bit uncomfortable stating such an idealistic view (which is why I had to throw in that negative sentence), but one can always hope.
This leaves us at the final possibility, remaining alone in the first place. You have always seen the merits of such an existence, once you moved past any feelings of loneliness or inadequacy. No strings attached, you are nobody’s puppet, you go where you want to go, and do what you want to do. You don’t have to deal with the added burden of pleasing another human being and you can focus on the one person that has always been most important, yourself. Whether you seek to improve yourself through physical activity, learning, philosophy or religion, you will be able to focus to the point where the best of your abilities are acting in unison for the improvement of the superior being. Strength, intelligence, depth, a better view on the meaning of the world will all be in reach for one that is not held down. And you will see yourself as a superior being, your ability to focus on issues other people do not find the time for will give you a higher ground from which you will look down with arrogance (mild or abrasive). All of the things you will gain will make you impressive indeed, but what will impress you even more once you get older is how meaningless it all becomes to you. So much will have been gained but there will not be anyone suitable to share it with because no effort was put into cultivating a healthy relationship. And when you lie alone and no one is there to praise your arrogant spirit, how long will it last? How long will it be before it shrivels away and falls to the very earth that allowed it to reach such heights? When facing their existence with no one at their side, would such a person feel “powerful”?
Those are the options as I see them.“
9
Feb
2006
Closet Politician
Once again I come face to face with a great public speaking monster.
In my case typical symptoms could range from standard nervousness to flat out desire to throw up [resulting form the amount of sleep I got the night before and my knowledge of the subject].
Although I only got 4.5 hours of sleep before the presentation the information that I was covering was quite up my alley. Despite being comfortable with the subject I was as always a nerve wreck and a little jittery.
While waiting for my turn to speak I could not help noticing that it was hard for me to find a comfortable position. Standing still was just not an option. Observing other speakers I noticed that literally every one had their hand folded in one way or another, I guess I was not the only nervous brat in the room.
When it came time to do my speech I was ready. I practiced it a few times before hand and knew what I was talking about. With an assistance of my cards I breezed through my speech, making a small blunder near the end.
As always the final words “Thank You” brought forth a sudden since of ecstasy. My job was done and I was ready to move out of the way for the next speaker to take their place.
After leaving the podium one of my colleagues told me that we would probably do this all over again in a month. Surprisingly I was very excited to hear this, having another opportunity to polish my skills at public speaking will be a great asset to my ever developing talents.
Just give me time and who knows you could see my name on a ballet in your regional public office.
14
Nov
2005
Modern Titanomachy
It was already dark. The cold front moved in, making any attempts staying outside futile. The streets were different somehow; noise and commotion that lived on these sidewalks vanished from existence. An eerie feeling filled the hearts of those who dared to stay behind just to bear witness to the events that happened that night.
On one of those streets, in a house slightly different from other buildings in the neighborhood took place the events which we are about to describe.
Two friends both tired from a long day came downstairs to part ways. While getting ready and packing their belongings one suddenly stopped and asked “Do you want to arm Wrestle?”
All of a sudden they were no longer friends, there was no bond between them, and all that remained was anger that boiled their blood.
Both took up a piece of the room, marking their territory letting the other know of his intent. In the first corner we could see a tall and proud man. Smirking at his opponent, waiting for another chance to show the world his fearsome power: he was no other then The Wild Russian Red Boar: Max!
In the opposite corner stood a challenger who faced the Boar before. He was uncertain of the outcome, but despite everything he remained calm, calculative and determined; a man who’s got nothing to lose and everything to gain: The Cunning Polish Wolf: Mike!
As soon as both were ready to go, they sat down locking their hands in tight grips that would have obliterated a hand of an ordinary human.
A second later they were off… Max confident in his abilities was not making any advances; he was playing with his opponent holding still trying to contain the overpowering drive exhibited by Mike. As he watch his opponent’s face rapidly change color from white to dark red in just seconds he noticed how slowly his hand began to waiver in to his opponent’s direction. The change was small maybe 3mm but enough to make him realize that his cocky approach was very foolish and dangerous. He attempted to pull the mighty Polack back but it was already too late, the mighty machine was already in full throttle. Noticing that the Russian was wavering Mike’s determination grew stronger and stronger, in the final moments despite exhaustion Mike could only think of his opponent’s hand touching the table with the back of his hand.
After the dust had settled you could see the defeated and the conqueror, dealing with the situation in their own way. Mike was cheerful and filled with energy. He talked about his victory and possible challenges that would occur in the future. At that instance he was the king of the world and no one could even come close to him.
Max although defeated was humbled by the experience. His pride felt the stinging of defeat but it wasn’t as devastating as before. He thought to him self “any man can be beaten under the right circumstances, and today was my day to play the trumpet of defeat.
