january 30
do you remember the simpson's episode when homer and bart sit down to watch 'when buildings collapse' - well, i guess that show wasn't too far from reality. last night i watched ' 101 things removed from the human body'. i think the most impressive was the two motorcyclist who were impaled by the same metal rod (i.e. one long rod in and out the driver and then in and out the back passenger) - simply amazing
for everything that is wrong with the tv culture that is so prevalent in north america, there certainly are a good number of shows on the learning channel, national geographic, discovery and the history channel - below is list of a few of my favourites:
- taboo
unfortunately, the reason why i have had so much time to watch tv is that work has been painfully slow. in fact, i can't see how i am going to remain employed for much longer. everyone talks about an economic recovery but no matter what happens, it will take years before work returns to the same levels as it was before. however, at least i have a plan....and will share the plan with all if it happens
one benefit of abundant time is that i am making it out to the gym more often. having said that, i can't seem to lose weight and/or gain finger strength. i am convinced that my cardiovascular strength is a major limiting factor so i'm starting to run on the thread mill. am also going to go snowboarding tomorrow! looks like it might be cold but am amped about getting outside again
till next time....
relying on the kindness of strangers
january 26 - week/end in review
so if you've been following this blog, you'll know that we took possession of a car last tuedays. well, in 4 days, we were able to get 3 parking tickets and get towed. certainly unexpected costs associated with car ownership. the most frustrating aspect about these tickets were that they were unintended in the sense that we tried to find legitimate spots and thought we were legally parked. oh well....somebody needs to pay the police....
saturday was an eye opening day - i had an appointment with minh's auto repair to get the car fixed up and was up bright and early - only to find that the car had been towed. however, instead of freaking out and shutting down, i was able to be reflective, accept the situation for what it was and move on. within a couple of hours i was back on the road, had the car in the shop and before i knew it, i was back in the comforts of home.
a good mechanic is probably more important than a good doctor - i believe i can self diagnose and heal most of my physical ailments but when something goes wrong with your car, it often feels like you've been told you have just a short time left to live. i was very happy to find minh's and the fact that there are a significant number of positive reviews attributed to it was reassuring.
we also went to a mall for the first time since moving to nyc - granted the mall was in brooklyn but nonetheless, it was still an experience. rebekah was able to load up on maternity clothes and i had a five-dollar foot long - now that's a deal.
sunday morning and we finally made it to church on time (and by on time, i mean 10 minutes late) - rebekah found the village church and we've attended off and on for the past 6 month. i believe its a presbyterian church and the people i have met seem quite nice. unfortunately, it appears that the church is facing some economic hardship. i also met the pastor's youngest son yesterday and couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him even though he seemed perfectly happy. of course there is a story behind this feeling but more about that another time.
after church we went to the gym, watched a movie and i went to the driving range - and hit it great! first time in a long while i felt so good hitting golf balls. hopefully i will be able to continue improving (especially my short game) and have a good summer of golf. i'm also getting stronger and climbing is more enjoyable again. can't wait to go on a trip....
i've also made peace with poker for now and have accepted that i don't have the temperament for the game - i'm going to give it a break for a while although would love to go to atlantic city and play in a tournament
so, things are good and god is good - and what does god require of me - "to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly"
so if you've been following this blog, you'll know that we took possession of a car last tuedays. well, in 4 days, we were able to get 3 parking tickets and get towed. certainly unexpected costs associated with car ownership. the most frustrating aspect about these tickets were that they were unintended in the sense that we tried to find legitimate spots and thought we were legally parked. oh well....somebody needs to pay the police....
saturday was an eye opening day - i had an appointment with minh's auto repair to get the car fixed up and was up bright and early - only to find that the car had been towed. however, instead of freaking out and shutting down, i was able to be reflective, accept the situation for what it was and move on. within a couple of hours i was back on the road, had the car in the shop and before i knew it, i was back in the comforts of home.
a good mechanic is probably more important than a good doctor - i believe i can self diagnose and heal most of my physical ailments but when something goes wrong with your car, it often feels like you've been told you have just a short time left to live. i was very happy to find minh's and the fact that there are a significant number of positive reviews attributed to it was reassuring.
we also went to a mall for the first time since moving to nyc - granted the mall was in brooklyn but nonetheless, it was still an experience. rebekah was able to load up on maternity clothes and i had a five-dollar foot long - now that's a deal.
sunday morning and we finally made it to church on time (and by on time, i mean 10 minutes late) - rebekah found the village church and we've attended off and on for the past 6 month. i believe its a presbyterian church and the people i have met seem quite nice. unfortunately, it appears that the church is facing some economic hardship. i also met the pastor's youngest son yesterday and couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him even though he seemed perfectly happy. of course there is a story behind this feeling but more about that another time.
after church we went to the gym, watched a movie and i went to the driving range - and hit it great! first time in a long while i felt so good hitting golf balls. hopefully i will be able to continue improving (especially my short game) and have a good summer of golf. i'm also getting stronger and climbing is more enjoyable again. can't wait to go on a trip....
i've also made peace with poker for now and have accepted that i don't have the temperament for the game - i'm going to give it a break for a while although would love to go to atlantic city and play in a tournament
so, things are good and god is good - and what does god require of me - "to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly"
do you believe in miracles
january 22
receiving a new york state driver's licence and registering a car in new york in under 5 hours at the brooklyn dmv ... some would definitely consider this a miracle. but it happened on tueday and to me. i starting to believe 'change has to america' :)
all kidding aside, i hope that what everyone takes away from tuesday's historical events and speech is that the world we live in is so much more than ourselves as individuals. of course the concept of the 'sum of the parts being greater than each of the individual components' is not new - but have you seen this? computer scientists are truly a unique bunch and by far some of the smartest people i know
so, as previously reported, we purchased a car this past weekend, took possession of it on tuesday and promptly began compiling a deficiency list. although its quite long, i don't think it will be too expensive save for replacing all four brakes and rotors. i even purchased the audi repair manual and hope to get my hands dirty this weekend.
last night i went with some clients to the knicks/suns game which turned out to be quite fun - but other than this event, work has been downright dreadful - seems like no one really has an abundance of work to do and everyone is fearful of what is to come
given the major slowdown in the financial markets, i've taken to doing quite a bit of pro bono work which can be fun but also very frustrating - one of my major projects is volunteering at the personal bankuptcy clinic sponsored by the ny city bar. this experience really reinforces how easy it is to fall into debt.
well, back to the grind for another day - can't wait for the weekend.
receiving a new york state driver's licence and registering a car in new york in under 5 hours at the brooklyn dmv ... some would definitely consider this a miracle. but it happened on tueday and to me. i starting to believe 'change has to america' :)
all kidding aside, i hope that what everyone takes away from tuesday's historical events and speech is that the world we live in is so much more than ourselves as individuals. of course the concept of the 'sum of the parts being greater than each of the individual components' is not new - but have you seen this? computer scientists are truly a unique bunch and by far some of the smartest people i know
so, as previously reported, we purchased a car this past weekend, took possession of it on tuesday and promptly began compiling a deficiency list. although its quite long, i don't think it will be too expensive save for replacing all four brakes and rotors. i even purchased the audi repair manual and hope to get my hands dirty this weekend.
last night i went with some clients to the knicks/suns game which turned out to be quite fun - but other than this event, work has been downright dreadful - seems like no one really has an abundance of work to do and everyone is fearful of what is to come
given the major slowdown in the financial markets, i've taken to doing quite a bit of pro bono work which can be fun but also very frustrating - one of my major projects is volunteering at the personal bankuptcy clinic sponsored by the ny city bar. this experience really reinforces how easy it is to fall into debt.
well, back to the grind for another day - can't wait for the weekend.
progress
last november i had the chance to watch the results of the u.s. elections at rockefeller plaza and 'be part of history in the making'. although it is hard to remain positive when one is immersed in the current financial crisis, i really believe that president-elect obama and the policies he believes in represent the best chance this country has to 'turn-it-around'
progress also on the home front as this week we (and by we, i mean the baby) will enter into its 16th week of existence - apparently the picture below shows what the baby (and the mother) looks like at this stage
the more i research and watch documentaries on the reproduction of mammals, the more i am amazed at the complexity and beauty of it all. i recently watched two national geographic documentaries on the reproduction of dogs and cats and was absolutely blown away. but, if you need to watch just one, see the pbs series on the miracle of life
anyway, i had set out a list of 'to-dos' yesterday and only made it through about 1/2 of them - so, if i want to keep this them of progress going, i best be off.
labels are for cans of tuna
january 18
yesterday was just one of those days where everything seems to line up perfectly - after waking up late, having a great breakfast and cleaning the apartment, we decided to look online for a used car. our plan had been to save money for a few months and buy a car for about 15k early in the summer. however, we decided to see what we could get for 5k.
yesterday was just one of those days where everything seems to line up perfectly - after waking up late, having a great breakfast and cleaning the apartment, we decided to look online for a used car. our plan had been to save money for a few months and buy a car for about 15k early in the summer. however, we decided to see what we could get for 5k.
well, we ended finding a 2000 Audi A4 that comes with a few quirks - the main one being that the engine is from a 2002 A4. anyway, we're happy with the purchase and hopefully the car won't cause us too much problems. its the first time i've bought a used car so it should be a learning experience none the less. much more to come when we actually take delivery of the car on tuesday
after purchasing the car, we decided we also need a new bike for getting around the city. we currently have a dahon d7 folding bike which is great
after purchasing the car, we decided we also need a new bike for getting around the city. we currently have a dahon d7 folding bike which is great
but for practicality (including the impending need to pull a baby trailer), we decided to go with a trek city bike
we took the bike home gathered up our gear and headed over to the gym
.....flash back about 8 years .....
i was still in college and 'my life' and 'rock climbing' was synonymous - i worked at the gym, went to squamish every week and hung out with a great group of climbers, some who would go on to be today's 'superstars of rock'. i read all the climbing magazines and followed climbing developments, one of which was the explosion of bouldering in the gunks (an area a couple of hours north of nyc) - around that time, rock and ice or climbing magazine (i can't remember which) profile vadim vinokur and described his training regiment which was held at chelsea piers in nyc. and then, for reasons somewhat unbeknown to me (although i suspect 'life' had something to do with it), i fell off the climbing wagon.
however, in 2007, when we moved to nyc, our first stop was in the gunks and our second stop was at chelsea piers
it is fascinating to me how life often comes around full circle - although i am nowhere as strong (or dedicated) as i once was, the joy of climbing has certainly returned and i hope 2009 will result in the completion of some outstanding climbing projects (stay tuned.....)
after a delicious pizza dinner, we headed home and went to bed, but not before some disappointment (the day was too perfect otherwise) i logged on to pokerstars and figured my luck would have to change - i was on a streak of 5 sit'n'gos without a cash and it was starting to wear on me - especially since 3 out of the 5 times i played really well only to love to a 95:5 on the river. one time i lost to a coin flip (it happens) and one time i just sucked. well, to keep a long story short, i logged into two tournaments and was out on the bubble each time - i'm not going to rant and rave because i understand that's the nature of the beast but it sure will feel good to come out on top soon (and before my bankroll is depleted)
today is sunday and unfortunately we are too late to go to the village church - i guess it will be bedside baptist again - thank god for the internet - after listening to a few sermons recently from pastors at the meeting house i think i may have found a denomination of christianity i can relate to. hopefully i'll be able to discuss this matter in more detail in a subsequent point but for now, check out this wiki post on anabaptists
today's to dos (in no particular order):
church
gym
buy a new book or two (chinese history and the shack)
study chinese
play poker
watch nfl playoffs
i better get started....
.....flash back about 8 years .....
i was still in college and 'my life' and 'rock climbing' was synonymous - i worked at the gym, went to squamish every week and hung out with a great group of climbers, some who would go on to be today's 'superstars of rock'. i read all the climbing magazines and followed climbing developments, one of which was the explosion of bouldering in the gunks (an area a couple of hours north of nyc) - around that time, rock and ice or climbing magazine (i can't remember which) profile vadim vinokur and described his training regiment which was held at chelsea piers in nyc. and then, for reasons somewhat unbeknown to me (although i suspect 'life' had something to do with it), i fell off the climbing wagon.
however, in 2007, when we moved to nyc, our first stop was in the gunks and our second stop was at chelsea piers
it is fascinating to me how life often comes around full circle - although i am nowhere as strong (or dedicated) as i once was, the joy of climbing has certainly returned and i hope 2009 will result in the completion of some outstanding climbing projects (stay tuned.....)
after a delicious pizza dinner, we headed home and went to bed, but not before some disappointment (the day was too perfect otherwise) i logged on to pokerstars and figured my luck would have to change - i was on a streak of 5 sit'n'gos without a cash and it was starting to wear on me - especially since 3 out of the 5 times i played really well only to love to a 95:5 on the river. one time i lost to a coin flip (it happens) and one time i just sucked. well, to keep a long story short, i logged into two tournaments and was out on the bubble each time - i'm not going to rant and rave because i understand that's the nature of the beast but it sure will feel good to come out on top soon (and before my bankroll is depleted)
today is sunday and unfortunately we are too late to go to the village church - i guess it will be bedside baptist again - thank god for the internet - after listening to a few sermons recently from pastors at the meeting house i think i may have found a denomination of christianity i can relate to. hopefully i'll be able to discuss this matter in more detail in a subsequent point but for now, check out this wiki post on anabaptists
today's to dos (in no particular order):
church
gym
buy a new book or two (chinese history and the shack)
study chinese
play poker
watch nfl playoffs
i better get started....
there is always something to learn
january 14
as you are all aware, the world economy is in shambles and the trickle down effect is being felt everywhere - there is simply no work right now for those of us who were busy structuring financial products for the last few years. is it time to start thinking about a career change? only time will tell
in the mean time, i keep learning and right now i am making my way through the second volume of essential chinese characters - otherwise known as
if you are also trying to learn chinese, i have found this site to be very helpful http://www.mandarintools.com/worddict.html
i've been learning to read and write on and off (more off than on) for the past year or so and can now roughly understand portions of a chinese newspaper
i've also been trying to get into shape but for some reason, i just keep gaining weight - apparently fathers-to-be suffer from empathy-related weight gain but at this rate, rebekah will never catch up to me. i don't quite understand why this is happening especially because my diet has been quite controlled as of late - my increase weight is having a negative effect on my climbing, most recently evidenced by my needing to change 'beta' on a route at the gym because my butt is too big - i use to easily high-step the final move of this .11 but now my enlarged behind requires that i keep my feel lower on worse holds. any suggestions for quick weight loss would be greatly appreciated!
with extra time on my hand, i have been playing a bunch of sit-n-go tournaments on pokerstars - 5.50 buy-ins - i usually like to play 18 players but will sometimes go down to 9. however, on monday, i signed up for a 90 play tournament and came in third! no too shabby but i got lucky twice - both times i went all-in pre-flop as my stack was getting low - first time, i had AJs against AA - made a straight on the river; the second time i had JJ against QQ and hit a J on the turn. both times it was against the same player - better to be lucky than good? what do you think?
things that I am not looking forward too: the cold weather that is suppose to hit nyc http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/10009?from=36hr_fcst10DayLink_undeclared
i suppose it is january but given the temps during the past few years, this cold snap (plus the large amount of snow we got when in vancouver over the holidays) is certainly unexpected.
as you are all aware, the world economy is in shambles and the trickle down effect is being felt everywhere - there is simply no work right now for those of us who were busy structuring financial products for the last few years. is it time to start thinking about a career change? only time will tell
in the mean time, i keep learning and right now i am making my way through the second volume of essential chinese characters - otherwise known as
if you are also trying to learn chinese, i have found this site to be very helpful http://www.mandarintools.com/worddict.html
i've been learning to read and write on and off (more off than on) for the past year or so and can now roughly understand portions of a chinese newspaper
i've also been trying to get into shape but for some reason, i just keep gaining weight - apparently fathers-to-be suffer from empathy-related weight gain but at this rate, rebekah will never catch up to me. i don't quite understand why this is happening especially because my diet has been quite controlled as of late - my increase weight is having a negative effect on my climbing, most recently evidenced by my needing to change 'beta' on a route at the gym because my butt is too big - i use to easily high-step the final move of this .11 but now my enlarged behind requires that i keep my feel lower on worse holds. any suggestions for quick weight loss would be greatly appreciated!
with extra time on my hand, i have been playing a bunch of sit-n-go tournaments on pokerstars - 5.50 buy-ins - i usually like to play 18 players but will sometimes go down to 9. however, on monday, i signed up for a 90 play tournament and came in third! no too shabby but i got lucky twice - both times i went all-in pre-flop as my stack was getting low - first time, i had AJs against AA - made a straight on the river; the second time i had JJ against QQ and hit a J on the turn. both times it was against the same player - better to be lucky than good? what do you think?
things that I am not looking forward too: the cold weather that is suppose to hit nyc http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/10009?from=36hr_fcst10DayLink_undeclared
i suppose it is january but given the temps during the past few years, this cold snap (plus the large amount of snow we got when in vancouver over the holidays) is certainly unexpected.
this is first day of the rest of your life
january 12 - weekend re-cap
on friday, i left work early to get my upper two wisdom teeth removed - fortunately, they were already 'out' and the removal process went very well. within a few hours, i was able to eat solids and drink soup. the following day, it felt like i never had wisdom teeth to begin with
saturday was a lazy day - resting and reading - we also went to look at baby stuff (strollers, cribs etc) - in case you didn't know, its now < 6 months until we (and by we, i mean rebekah) is expected to deliver - i can't wait to watch my own 'thing fall asleep'
http://www.cutethingsfallingasleep.org
on friday, i left work early to get my upper two wisdom teeth removed - fortunately, they were already 'out' and the removal process went very well. within a few hours, i was able to eat solids and drink soup. the following day, it felt like i never had wisdom teeth to begin with
saturday was a lazy day - resting and reading - we also went to look at baby stuff (strollers, cribs etc) - in case you didn't know, its now < 6 months until we (and by we, i mean rebekah) is expected to deliver - i can't wait to watch my own 'thing fall asleep'
http://www.cutethingsfallingasleep.org
sunday - our first NFL game together - the weather was perfect, we got to giants stadium, lots of energy in the air and......the g-men were terrible. specifically, eli m and the the offence play callig was horrible. so. very. disappointing.
well its monday and things are slow at work - i'm not complaining but it is a bit nerve wrecking. "life without lawyers" - the title of a book i saw at b&n and the question i should be asking myself. the answer has to be no....but 'life with a lot fewer lawyers'? that seems possible and potentially beneficial (to everyone except lawyers). no doubt this will become a recurring theme in this blog
anyway, since this is the first post, i should probably tell you a little about what i plan on blogging about. quite simply, it will be about life. in particular, my life - which consists of me, rebekah, dependant with yet unknown gender and name, my work (more to follow) and hobbies (golf, rock climbing and poker)
i also hope to provide pictures and interesting links and food for thought - well, till next time
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