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mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 5732 |
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Posted: 22 June 2008 02:40 pm |
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Jack, hope you have a good trip! The $5M question is a good one to help think about our priorities and what we really want out of life. Today is a good day for me to spend some time thinking about this....thanks....
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 28 June 2008 09:53 am |
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Hey MM,
I've been browsing you diary and I think maybe things are looking up for you, with a potential job change in the offing. And 142? Nice! Did you hook up with your old buddies at the nightclub?
The list is tricky for me because at 50, well, only soo much time remains. Almost 51, actually. But, maybe one or two? We'll see.
jack
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 28 June 2008 10:29 am |
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So, my week of #%@&! at Central headquarters (actually an outdoor experiment) is finally over. It wasn't easy. I lost some time at the beginning of the week, because commuincations issues which were expected to be resolved on the first day weren't. I finally grabbed one of their guys and said you and my are going to work together while they try to resolve that stuff, which they finally did - at the end of Friday. As a result of those problems, the guy I needed to help me get our stuff going was pretty much unavailable the whole week. However, I did get the file transfer working, and *almost* got the video working, but ran out of time. I bet with one more hour, I would've had it working. The time lost at the beginning was costly. So, it was a partial success - not a total disaster.
Oh, well. It was pretty much what I expected. I did my best. I think it was pretty good under the cicumstancese. I actually helped them isolate some of their issues.
But I gained a couple of pounds on hotel restarant food. Last night was a buffet, and I had a nice piece of coconut vanilla cake at the end. At least I didn't have two!
Heading back home tomorrow, no today. I think I've come to a decision on how to get through this math course requirement. I decided I'm going to tackle it this fall. I'm going to be dedicated to it, except for work of course. In order to gain time back, I may rent a room close to work. That will save me 3 hours a day. A room will be about 400 / mo, but I'm probably saving say $300 month on gas, not to mention wear and tear. So for $100 extra per month, I gain say 3 hours a day, and go home weekends. Not bad. I'm not really looking forward to it, but at least, I will get through this math course, which I have to do to get this degree.
I'll spend the rest of the summer preparing for it. I have a lot of the materials from the course, the handouts, the problem sets, some solution sets, some test finals, the book. The main thing is I need the time, and it's better if I get the appartment now than in the fall when all the students move in. So - the beat goes on.
Jack
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mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 5732 |
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Posted: 28 June 2008 03:52 pm |
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Good to see ya Jack. Sounds like you are getting settled on some plans. I am in a similar situation where I would have so much more time in a day (and save on gas) if I'd rent a room near my work. I bet you'll appreciate it but at the end of 3 months will be glad to get home on a daily basis.
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 29 June 2008 06:11 am |
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Hey MM,
We'll see how renting the room works out. Last time I tried, it wasn't so great, because I was like a guest in the lady's house and she almost expected me to tell her when / where I was. I mean, I'm almost 51 please.
I'm looking in Craig's list now an will probably check out a couple of places next week. It can be lonely, but I will learn a lot, for sure.
Jack
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 29 June 2008 06:23 am |
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Home sweet home. Get home about 4, and worked out hitting the ball of the wall for a couple of hourse. I'm trying a new technique. I got mad at guy from one of the other companies, so I pretending I was hitting him when I hit the tennis ball. It was kind of fun, and relieved my frustrationa. I was really wacking the heck out of the ball. It's a better workout, you loose your breath pretty quickly.
Then, I got home and we went out with my other bro and his wife to a bar in town. The band was an R&B band with a James Brown type lead singer. They were pretty good, too. Still, I've never been a big R&B guy. It just misses the mark for me. It's all rythm, no grit. I like music that has some grit in it. But then again, take the Average White band - they had a couple of songs I just love to death, Cut the Cake and Pick up the Pieces. I never get tired of hearing those two songs, especially Cut the Cake. But, R&B as rule doesn't seem to have that emotional connection for me.
For example, I like Janis Joplin a lot. My wife doesn't like her singing, but that' s because she's a clasically trained opera singer and so Janis's voice doesn't conform to what she thinks a singer's voice should be. But me, I love listening to her songs. She's just so good, the suffering comes through so raw and clear. She had a way of singing that made her sound like she was two people singing at once. Just a treat for the ears and the soul. The poor thing! Janis, you rule.
Oh, yeah, on the train ride back today, I actually talked with Japanese people a couple of times, in Japanese. I was doing ok, too. Nothing really rolled of my tounge, but I managed to sustain quite a reasonable conversation with a nice Japanese couple for a good twenty minutes to a half hour. I also talked to a group of business guys who were traveling from city to city doing something for Mitsubishi, negotiations or something. So, the Japanese is coming along - the ipod trick really works.
Anyway, I gained a few pounds on the road, which is why I did the big workout of the wall today. Tennis tomorrow at 9 am, sharp. Should help me get back under 175.
Jack
Last edited on 29 June 2008 10:20 am by jackbenimble
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 29 June 2008 10:39 am |
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Ah, it feels good to wake up in my own bed. It's always a little disorienting when you don't wake up in your own bed. You're like hmm, what's the situation here. Ok, I'm not sure I'm at the place I normally am - so where am I? Some kind of a room, double-bed, TV. Oh, yeah I'm on a business trip. What am I doing. Oh, yeah, I'm at Central doing testing, halfway through, or whatever you are. Right.
Ok, well after a looong stretch, the heavy-duty aspect of this project is done for me. Things should lighten up to a fair extent at work, and I'll be back to normal hours.
Another thing I have to tackle now I have a little time before the semester starts is my shareware program has an installation bug in XP. I'm going to need to figure out that problem. But, how do I gain access to an xp system? Wait, I think some of the laptops at work might have XP installed. Maybe I could sneak one home this week.
Also, I'm going to start working on my fall course. The first thing I'm going to do is read over all the notes from the course. I'll make a list of questions for each thing I don't understand. I won't look it up, or anything. I just want to familiarize myself with the breadth and nature of the subject matter. Then, I'll read through the textbook, which contains introductory material as well.
I also have to fix a bug in my new website. A couple of bugs, actually. One should be easy, but the other a bit trickier. Hmmm. Still a lot ot do.
Jack
Last edited on 29 June 2008 10:40 am by jackbenimble
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mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 5732 |
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Posted: 1 July 2008 03:50 am |
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Welcome home!
You have a shareware program? What does it do?
And a website? You never cease to amaze.
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zenobia
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 1 July 2008 05:35 am |
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lol- i slept on the couch last night and i totally had that feeling of not really knowing where i was. such of a wierd feeling. but sometimes it's nice to wake up that way.
it must be a great relief to have a lot of that work over and done with. now maybe you can take some time to relax. pick up that guitar and jam. teach your daughter a song. that would be the coolest (my ex-roommate and her dad would jam together. i always thought it was so neat and ai couldn't help but be a bit jealous. she even made him a cd of her playing and singing as a christmas gift one year... very very sweet).
and hats off to the briliant idea of preping for your course so early in the game. it's going to make the semester soooo much easier. i really really ought to do that myself. i should probably study for the gre properly fisrt, and them maybe apply, before i jump the gun. 
(lol- and go figure- i love janis myself. but i bet you could have guessed that one! i love the sound of a woman who smoked too much and drank soco like one of the boys. she's one of my beloved "dead at 27" saints. yeah, probably quoted a lot, but ya can't help but love the line "freedom is just another word for nothin' left to lose"!)
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suenos
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 1 July 2008 06:33 am |
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Hey Jack...just thought I'd come by and check out your diary....I like your taste in music...at least the Janis Joplin and Average White Band parts - otherwise I have to admit that I really, really like the "old school" R&B. Impressive on the Japanese...tough language, I thought I'd take it as my mandatory language requirement, and dropped it when, after nearly two weeks the only thing I could say correctly was "good morning Mr. White"...and nothing else. What's your website?......um, assuming you want to share it
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 1 July 2008 06:36 am |
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Hey Mm!
Thanks for the welcome back! The experiment has not turned out to be an overwhelming success, and there are only a couple of days left. There were just too many layers, to many companies, to little organization. But, it's ok. My company will survive. It's going to be our big lab demo from now on. It's much easier to make it work in a lab than outdoors.
Interestingly, I got a couple of emails today from headhunters about interesting sounding jobs, much closer to home. But, my next move, I want to be a next MOVE. I'm just not sure what I mean by that.
The shareware program is something I patched together many years ago to help teach myself Japanese. If I'd used it more, I'd speak better Japanese myself now! But, it's enough to earn a few bucks a year, and it's especially handy at tax time - those business deductions can really make a difference.
The website is a project I did for my last class, which basically takes some of the shareware stuff and makes accessible via the web. I really like how it turned out, particularly the user interface and the flashcard algorithm implementation.
Your provocative post has got me thinking, though. I'm wondering if maybe I'm too self-absorbed in my own projects. I was talking with my daughter tonight, and she was saying, the people she thinks are the biggest goofs, are the ones who are self-absorbed. And I was like, hmmm, I could be accused of that, being all wrapped up in chasing a degree, etc. Sometimes, I think she isn't goal-oriented enough, but there's actually some benefit to kind of looking at what's going on around you, and partaking in the feast of life. She is a big fan of movies, tv shows, books, pop-culture - and she can speak quite intelligently and entertainingly on these things. She's always analyzing characters and thinking about them, then she talks with her friends about all that stuff, and with people on the internet. TV is not necessarily the "vast wasteland" we've been conditioned to think it is. I dunno - I think she might be onto something. Maybe I should become a couch potato, lol.
Jack
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 1 July 2008 06:58 am |
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Zen,
I knew you would be a Janice fan, no doubt in my mind about it. I want to play a tune by her right now, but I really want to get off to bed. Great suggestion on jamming! But the first thing I did was check out the math course requirements. It looks jaw-droppingly difficult. I'm having second thoughts about taking it this semester. I'd rather take another year and take a couple of pre-requisites first. But that would mean seven more courses instead of five, so I'll need to double up a couple of semesters. Or, if take a slightly less impressive degree (Masters in IT, Management concentration instead of Masters in IT, software engineering concentration) If I did that, I could skip the whole math thing and be done a *lot* sooner. Ok, I don't want to be a manager, but you could argue a business perspective is important in this day and age.
I just don't know if I want to do all this mathy stuff. I don't know if it's worth basically an extra year and 1/2 out of my life when I want to get on with the *fun* stuff. As I recall, learning Formal Systems and Computation was not on my list of things to do before I check out. And I love how they call the course "Intro to...". Heck of an intro. Usually, when you hear the words intro, you think, pretty easy, get an overview of the basics, learn some fundamentals, get the idea of the whole thing. This goes far, far beyond the intro material. I mean, I could do it - I think - if I really focused on it and dedicated my life to it for about six months. But I don't think I *like* the stuff enough to work that hard at it. I'd rather be jammin the night away!
Jack
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 1 July 2008 07:21 am |
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Hey, Sueno - thanks for stopping by! Yeah how about cut the cake - you can't hear that song without nodding to the beat. I do like all kinds of music. Example, I couldn't understand the debate in the 70's about disco vs. rock - I liked 'em both! Although my favorite genres definitely tend toward rock, blues and jazz, if I like a song, I like a song.
Good idea dropping Japanese. My wife is Japanese, otherwise, I'd have done the same years ago. I'm still not particularly good at it. French is the way to go for a second langauge, if you ask me.
Jack
Last edited on 1 July 2008 07:23 am by jackbenimble
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 3 July 2008 03:29 pm |
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Hey Diary,
Jogged the last couple of nights to try to shake off the lbs. gained from the trip. Still at 174/175. As I was jogging, I really wished I could be living in a French-speaking or Japanese speaking country.
My wife doesn't want to move. She's also worried that if I move into an appartment close to work during the week, our marriage will be threatened. She was pretty honest - the fact of the matter is, when I tried the same thing a couple of years ago, she actually had a difficult time adapting to having me around when I came back on weekends. It has to do with the same type of discussion just going on in MM's thread - wives can relax more when hubby's not around. Not to mention, she really likes the house clean, and frankly, I'm not as neat as she is. She is really totally organized - you should see her closet. Everything perfect. Pocketbooks, high heels galore, all ligned up like little soldiers, ready for action.
Also, I'm not sure I'll go for the math option, which was the motivation for the appt. in the first place. The whole thing is pretty much up in the air right now, although I am talking to a couple of people about renting.
Good news on the work front - we had a reasonably successful demo yesterday, when all the VIPs came in for a visit. Things were on the edge the whole time, but came together in the last minute. It's all about hammering through the configuration issues.
I finally straigtened out the Japanese entries on my ipod. Before it was coming up willy-nilly, in various categories, with some stuff I didn't need. Now I have it all in the podcast category, organized by date, even. So, it's now possible follow the lessons in order.
-Jack
Last edited on 4 July 2008 01:20 am by jackbenimble
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 4 July 2008 05:07 am |
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Woah, I'm still sore from jogging the last couple of days. I'll take an aspirin before hitting the sack. I'm at 175 now, still a bit puffed up from the trip, but, not too bad. I want to get the old V back - right now, I'm more like a pillar.
I started reading the textbook for this Formal Computation class - and so far, it's not too bad - I got a lot of the first chapter. Theres a lot of stuff in there I've seen before, sets, and/or logic, directed graphs, binary calculations. The guy explains it really well, much better the the proofs book I was just looking at. What I didn't like about the proofs book was it mentioned co-sines, isocoles triangles, stuff from high school which I've long forgotten - real mathy stuff. This book sticks with things related to computers - for example, its first proof example has to do with proving the number of connecting lines in a set of nodes is always even. Nodes and trees and leafs and directed graphs, I can handle. Then again, I'm only halfway through the first chapter. We'll see.
My daughter has her driving test Monday, I'll take her out an practice over the holiday weekend. Three-point turns, in particular.
I'm whipping through the Japanese ipod lessons now that I have them organized. I went through the first 10 intermediate lessons today (easy because I'd listened to most of them before). It's nice to hear the lessons in succession, too, because they sort of have a continuing story-line.
I know I'm not overreating when the first couple of mouthfuls of food taste really good. I'll have to remember that.
Jack
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zenobia
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 4 July 2008 05:22 am |
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so you are going to go through with all the math stuff? or still deciding? sounds like you are getting through the language as well. yeah, being organized tends to help.
lol- i've never understood runners. i think they are a breed of thier own. yup, my husband is one of them... or was one, rather! (he's a math guy, too, but going for litertaure. i'm lucky if i can get the tip right when going out to eat... )
hope your daughter passes the test! it can be quite nerve racking. one of my best friends has her degree in psych, has passed the mn bar exam on her first try, has always gotten straight As and has a degree in german- but she failed the driver's test like 4 times. she still doesn't have her license. funny how things work out like that...
anyway, glad to see you are getting ack to where you were weight wise. keep it up, you are doing really well!
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 4 July 2008 12:27 pm |
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Hey Zen! Always a pleasure!
As far as the math stuff, I'm still checking out the territory. The problem is, during the week, it's so difficult to get any significant study in - espicially if I work out. The last thing I want to do is take the course and not get a usable mark! That would really just be ridiculously unnacceptable. That's why I'm looking in to an appt., at least for now until the end of the course.
As far as running, I was always the same way - never understood them. But, in the past few years I've taken to it more than before. It just takes a little getting used to. I like to run along the beach, where there's people walking and jogging and just hanging around. Keeps me interested.
For the tip, what I always do is find 10% and double it. It's a trick my brother taught me and I've used it since. But I'm definitely not the guy to figure out the share of the bill!
Your friend flunked the driver's test four times? Poor kid! Is it just stress?
Thanks for the good wishes on my daughter's test, and the encouragement!
Jack
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 4 July 2008 12:33 pm |
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Dear Diary,
I'm not sore at all today! No aches / pains, nothing! I'll enjoy it while it lasts. I'll definitely get a jog in, and a workout on the Total gym. Looks a bit wet for tennis, but it's nice and cool, at least.
Jack
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mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 5732 |
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Posted: 4 July 2008 03:45 pm |
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Reading about the math is sortof fun. Sines and cosines and isocoles triangles were a long time ago. Trees and leaves not sure I ever got that far. A number of years ago I bought a book on Applied Cryptography and really wanted to understand it but it was a little too advanced and I ended up 'saving it for when I had more time'. Ha ha, its still sitting there waiting for me.
If you rented close to school, how many nights per week will you be able to be home? I can understand the wife's point of view actually but maybe if you could be home 1 night midweek it would help. I if saw less of my husband, it would probably make me appreciate more the time that we did have together.
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 5 July 2008 02:32 pm |
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Hey MM,
I've decided to revamp my approach on the math - I got stuck on an example of an induction proof, and thought maybe I needed some background. So, I have this book on Discrete Math, which is a nominal prerequisite for both of the math classes I'm considering. It has a lot of excercises, and even a solution manual. So, I've been going through the first chapter of *that* book, and doing all the odd-numbered excercies, and getting *most* of the answers right. The only problem is when you get it wrong, you're kind of on your own - limited / no explanations are given. Still, I think I'm settled on this approach for now.
The book addresses a lot of the background material I need for the more advanced courses; eg. sets, induction, recursion, Big O / little o notaion, graphs. So hopefully I can more or less master the material, basically over the summer. Come fall, I'll decide which direction to go.
To spped up the process, renting a place near work would help. I'd be home 3 nights a week. I'm just loathe to spend all this time driving back and forth to work when I could be spending at least some of that time working on getting prepped up for this math course.
I don't like to spend the extra money, either, but with gas prices where they're at, the differential probably wouldn't be as large, especially if I get a fairly inexpensive room - say $400 / mo. It would probably end up an extra $200 / month, since I'm probably spending $300 / month on gas as it is, then you toss in utilitilties, food, the fact I'm going to be driving into school probably once a week, etc.
Other than that, I'm back down to about 174/175. I went jogging yesterday, and did a bit of work on the total gym. I'll do some jogging again today, for sure, and maybe hit the ball off the wall for a while. I did some more discrete math this morning (second set of excercises in chapter 1).
For now, I'm going to tackle the Vista bug. My daughter is at work, so I can use her system to experiment with (she has vista).
--Jack
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 6 July 2008 02:19 am |
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Hello, Diary.
Not a bad day so far. Not much luck on the Vista bug. I can't replicate it on my daughter's system. I did find a minor glitch with the trial version; but I don't think it applies to the vista problem. What I really need to do is get ahold of another vista system, and work with that. I don't know quite how to do it. Gone are the days when you could buy a laptop, play around with it for a few weeks, then return it. Now they have restocking fees, etc.
I got lucky today - I ran at the beach, couple miles, then went to hit the ball off the wall. I ran into S, a guy who hangs at the courts a lot, and he asked me to hit. He's a good player, so it was a nice workout. Then when I got home I did a symbolic workout on the Total Gym, just about 30 reps apiece of 3 excercises. A triple-header!
I finally decided I need to get focused on getting the masters degree until I'm done. I'm basically going to push for the math option, even though it means some extra time. I think I can do it. Math can be fun and interesting. It will be good to know some of this computational theory and/or aglorithm stuff. I work in a research-oriented company, and have often run across papers which through a lot of math at you, which I basically ignore. But, it will be good to know this kind of stuff.
What it comes down to, is this. If you want to do something, do it right. You can't do it right if you're spreading yourself in a bunch of different directions. So, my sole focus outside of my job (other than supporting my shareware and stayiing in shape) is going to be to complete the Master's degree. When that's done, probably in 2011 sometime, then I can take stock and decide what to do. It's just a path I'm commited to. I'm not Bill Gates with an idea which allows me to drop out of school with my life ahead of me. I'm just commited to this path, that's it. Gotta put the blinders on. I'm almost looking forward to learning the math. It will be *great* to have it done.
My goals:
1) Get into and stay in shape - get to 170 and stay there. Feel the burn!
2) Get the Master's degree done
a) Get the Math requirement done
i) Teach myself Discrete Math in preparation for the math requierment.
3) Support the shareware
4) Listen to Japanese on the ipod when commuting
Everything else is on hold. Math requirement, or bust.
Jack
Last edited on 6 July 2008 02:21 am by jackbenimble
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zenobia
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 7 July 2008 05:54 am |
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you know- it's so true- if your going to do something... you are great at giving out motivation to study up for school. lol- it's so much easier to do it when you know someone else is, too. oh, and my firend- i just don't know what her deal is. she's is book smart as all heck, street wise, and the life of the party. but she just couldn't get through those driving tests!
since i don't know what exactly a lot of you job and goals include, i'm still in total support of you getting your masters (but then again, i am biased- i'm going to be a prof. someday).
i went through the staying in shape/going to school/ having a job/and having a life routine. it's rough- i did hae to give up working out at a certian point, but i just had lower cals to compensate. but really, 30 min. a day isn't that rough. and if you do something like stationary bike, you can read over class stuff.
oh, and on the spreading thin- yeah, my attentions are spread all over teh bread right now. i made an analogy once (not sure if it was in my diary or on physical paper) about it being like playing darts- you have to have that one spot in mind- no loose aiming- just steady and straight with lots of focus. i love that you made a list- they are fabulous and do wonders when trying to figure out and reach your goals.
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suenos
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 7 July 2008 06:46 am |
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| ditto on what zen said about lists! I think it's cool btw that you are a "math person"....personally I still count secretly on my fingers sometimes (I'm not kidding)...I wonder what it would be like to actually enjoy math?????
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 8 July 2008 02:25 am |
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Zen,
Thanks for your support! Like your analogy with darts, I'm just trying to get some focus. I'm in a good situation, with my daughter going off to college, to really get down to business and get through this thing.
Jack
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 8 July 2008 02:27 am |
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Thanks, Suenos - I too wonder what it would be like to be a math person! The way this process is working, I'm going to have to know *something* about all this stuff, I can guarantee that much!
-Jack
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 8 July 2008 02:46 am |
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Dear Diary,
Great news - my daughter passed her driving test today! Yahoo! Now she can start accumulating years on her driver's licence, so her rates should be normal within six years or so. I'm not sure how it works, exactly.
Work is kind of low stress these days after the big project. Things probably won't start ramping up again until the fall.
Had a good weekend for excercise. I'm back down to the 174/175 range. I'd really like to get to 170.
I must have accidentally ordered another math book, because it showed up in the mail today. It's called "Computers and Intractability - A Guide to the theory of NP-completeness". Blechh.
I hate all the math s**t. Everyone tells me discrete math is easy. Well, I'm not finding it all so trivial. I'm still trying to get out of chapter 1. The exercises are like, if you are on an island, and everyone can either only tell the truth (a knight) or lie (a knave), then if A says B is a knave, and C say B is a knight, then what is C? so, you have to say, well, if a is a knave, that would make B a knight, so C must be a knave. But, if A is a knight, then, B is a knave, then C would be lying and would therefore be a knave. So in either case, C is a knave. That kind of stuff, is part of it.
All right. I was going to jog tonight, but I think i'll give my legs some time to recuperate from the weekend. I'll just see if I can finish chapter 1. I've done three of the four sets of excercises, with varying success. the third one wasn't that great, but the first two set, I did ok. I think after this last set, which is about various types of proofs, I'll finally be onto the next chapter.
I kind of want to see the replay of the Wimbledon Final, though. It started at 7 on ESPN classic - maybe I'll see if I can catch the tail end. They say it was the best tennis match ever.
Jack
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mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 5732 |
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Posted: 8 July 2008 03:07 am |
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I love the logic puzzle. Is that A: true? or B: false?
Glad your daughter passed the test! Phew!
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 9 July 2008 04:50 am |
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mollymoo24 wrote: I love the logic puzzle. Is that A: true? or B: false?
Glad your daughter passed the test! Phew!
Hey MM!
That would be either A is not false, or B is true. Or the other way around.
It is a relief she passed. Now she can accumulate insurance credits. Thank God!
Jack
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 9 July 2008 05:09 am |
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Dear diary,
Today I had a surge of energy when I got home. Went jogging down the beach, and was going pretty good - I had a lot of thoughts hitting me, and I was thinking I should write about them - but I kind of forgot them by now.
I've punted on the Discrete Math temporarily and am reviewing Algebra. I have a really thin book that was recommended by J at work, who is one of the smartest people I've ever met. I slugged through the first few pages, and did some examples. I wasn't really getting them right, but at least I know why I got them wrong, which is the most important part. The one I liked best with the distributed property used on straight integers. e.g. if you have 19 * 179, you can turn it into (20 -1) * (180 - 1), which turns into (3600 -20 - 180 + 1) which is 3401. Pretty cool, huh?
I weighed in 177/176 this morning, which is up, but it was after breakfast. Plus, I think since I started hitting the total gym, I'm bulking up a little bit in the arms/shoulders again. After jogging, I was down to about 171/172. Tomorrow, I'll be 174/175 after breakfast, I bet.
Jack
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zenobia
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 9 July 2008 05:24 am |
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hey! i remember that type of problem! i think w called it "FOIL" (first * first, outside * outside, inside * inside, last * last).
anyway, nice show with the running. might as well use the energy as it comes, eh? too bad you forgot your thoughts- you always have interesting things to say.
oooh- that's quite a drop! man, if running can knock off a few like that, i might have to give it a whirl! yeah, i never check the scale after breakfast. totally throws things off. and isn't doing weights and resistance training the best! i have an intense love/hate relationship with the soreness!
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 10 July 2008 12:19 pm |
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Zen,
Nice hint on the FOIL! I found myself using it this morning and it takes a bit of the overhead off doing the excercise.
I don't think I dropped all that weight during the jogging; usually it's more like 2/3 lbs. But it was humid, and I was kind of trying to keep up a fast pace, more so than usual. The criticism of jogging is that it beats up your body - but I don't do it that far, just a couple of miles, so that limits the damage.
The weights-resistance is not my favorite to *do* - I prefer sports for that - but I do like the results!
Jack
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mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 5732 |
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Posted: 11 July 2008 03:45 am |
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Thanks for posting the Boston suggestions, I'll check them out online and it should be easy enough for me to get a cab (I hope) from the hotel.
I am soooo sleepy I am going to sign off now, catch you soon.
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 11 July 2008 04:41 am |
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No problem MM, hope you like whereever you go!
So, tonight was dedicated to excercise. I hit the ball off the wall till it got dark, then went to the beach for a jog. I decided to measure the distance, it was a little more than 2.6 miles. I timed it on my cellphone, and it took about 28 minutes and change. So I figure I did a little less than 11 minutes a mile. Not a world record, to be sure - but not bad for me, I think. I was really hustling tonight, too, because I knew I was on the clock. But I had to slow down when my shoulder started acting up. It's an old injury from my college days, but it started to ache like a son-of-a-gun when I was going my fastest. I slowed down for a while, and it eased the pain, but it was a long time before I sped up again. That's the problem - once you get off your rythmn, it's just not so easy to ramp it up again. But , the good news is, my legs didn't bother me at all, it was my breath (and that shoulder) that were ultimately the drag, not the legs.
I weighed 170 when I got back. I've been there before, this last weekend, a couple of times, actually. I will be back up to about 173/4 by midday tommorow. I'm really having a lot of trouble busting out of this 170-175 range and into the 165-170 band. In fact, I have yet to see the magical 169 showing up on my scale. My midsection just stubbornly remains the same. Oh yeah, I want to get a tape measure, and start taping my stomach.
I'm really going to have to figure out how to cut into that last five pounds of grease. It's tough to get the six-pack going on. I really dislike doing situps and leg raises and crunches, is the real problem. I've got to start doing those with some real dedication, not the lip service I've been paying them up till now. The problem is, I don't want it badly enough. Too much work for Jack! What's the payoff? The payoff would be seeing a six-pack in the mirror. That would be cool. I have to visualize that.
Anyway, I did some math this morning, algebra. This thin book is really good. It's pithy. But it really explains things efficiently. I try all the examples, and mostly get them wrong. But then I go back and can usually figure out where I got off track. I'm really just trying to get the concepts down. I need these fundamentals in place, so I can tackle the more advanced courses with some greater level a preparedness than I would otherwise.
I'll do some math tommorrow. Tommorrow, I "work" from home. Usually, I'm pretty good about getting a good days work in. But there is a real lull going on after the all the work we did for the demo, and right now I'm just documenting stuff. Pretty dull, but pretty light work. I may get some math practice in tomorrow.
Hmmm...I'm getting sleepy. Oh, yeah, I got up at like 5 this morning, which is early for me.
Buenos noches,
Jack
Last edited on 11 July 2008 04:42 am by jackbenimble
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zenobia
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 11 July 2008 05:02 am |
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sounds like you had an active night! hope it felt good, aside from the injury, that is.
hhmmmm... about getting the six pack- i know what you mean about not wanting it badly enough. i was that way with hitting a particular weight. i just didn't want to sacrifice what needed to be sacrificed. i finally just decided that it wasn't a big deal. yeah, it would e great, but eh, worth it and something that i could maintain? well, that's something i just wasn't up for.
doesn't it drive you mad to weigh yourself at different times of the day? i would go crazy. i just pick one time and use it as my base. how will you know if you ever reach 169, and when does it become "official"? or doesn't it matter? just curious.
and ab work doesn't just have to be sit ups and leg raises- there are lots of thigs- standing ab work (that's what killed my obliques the other day).. just search around the net and you may find some routines you may not dislike so much (exrx.net is pretty decent)...
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 12 July 2008 02:50 am |
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You're right, Zen - it makes more sense to just weigh once a day. at most. But, I find I like weigh myself after excercising; I like seeing the low(er) numbers than usual. It's fools gold, I know, the more I think about it. But I think somehow or other, I'm getting some motivation from it.
So, today, I started work early and got some documentation done. So, that kept me busy for a while. The, I went out and got one of the baskets which hold about 50 tennis balls. What a great invention! I went out about three p.m. and practiced my serve. It was cool - I got into a rythm after a while and was getting a lot of them in, with decent pace. It's the first time I practiced my serve in about a thousand years! In tennis, if your serve is on, it really makes a difference.
So, after the workout, I came home, had dinner, and started watching the movie "Enchanted" with my wife. It's the first time in looong time that I watched a movie, and it was pretty fun. Nice light entertainment. In the middle of it, a buddy called, and we chatted for a while, but I came down and caught the happy ending. Then I started watching baseball, and I was like get out of here, you have a lot of stuff to do. But I couldn't move and spent another 1/2 in front of the TV. It's really pretty amazing. The TV has this effect on me, where if I sit in front of it, all of a sudden my ability to ambulate evaporates. It takes a surprising amount of willpower to get off that chair. Sheesh.
So, good news, I was down to 171 this morning. Not bad - that's down 10 from when I started. Now, just that next five lbs, and I'm all set to take on the fall semester!
Jack
Last edited on 12 July 2008 02:54 am by jackbenimble
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mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 5732 |
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Posted: 12 July 2008 04:52 am |
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jackbenimble wrote: . It's really pretty amazing. The TV has this effect on me, where if I sit in front of it, all of a sudden my ability to ambulate evaporates.
LOL. Yeah, you and the rest of America. I had to replace our couch last year after L wore out the one end of it where he watches TV. 
I cracked up the time Beth described her hubby coming in and showing off to her his "one pack". Hey, you gotta get started somewhere!
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 12 July 2008 09:48 pm |
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jackbenimble wrote: I find I like weigh myself after excercising; I like seeing the low(er) numbers than usual. It's fools gold, I know, the more I think about it. But I think somehow or other, I'm getting some motivation from it.
Absolutely.
Weigh yourself before and after exercise, subtract the two. This is the amount of fluids (water) you've sweated out which you have failed to replenish by rehydrating (drinking) during your workout, so it should provide you with ample motivation to rehydrate. Remember, your performance is considerably diminished when you are 1-2% dehydrated - when you are feeling thirsty, it is already 'too late'  . (But overdoing the water isn't good either.)
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 13 July 2008 02:42 am |
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Oh, that's a good tip - I'll keep it in mind!
Cheers,
Jack
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 13 July 2008 04:03 am |
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Dear Diary,
(warning - long entry!)
I realized today that this diary is becoming a subconcious presence in my mind. For example, during the day, I'll be thinking of what my impressions are about various things, and then thinking, this is what I'll write in my diary, or that's what I'll write. But, when it comes time to write it, I'll forget it, or feel like don't have time, so I don't really give it my best.
So, here is what I want to say - this is anonymous, so I can write whatever I want, within reasonable bounds of course, my opinions on things, and it's just my opinion. So, here's what the truth is - I'm not one of these people who listens to music all the time. Truth be told - I spend more time listening to sports talk radio than I do music. Or maybe, 50/50. But then after not listening to music for a while, I come back to it, and say, wow, this sounds soooo good, why don't I listen to it all the time? And then I thought, music is like rain on a field. The plants need sunshine, but then they need that rain, too, to bring nourishment and refresh them. Music is kind of like food that way, for me. It's not as tasty if you overdo it. But, if you haven't had it for a while, you feel like it's fulfilling a need. I'm not sure about this, but this was what I was thinking today.
Ok, enough of the sermonizing. What I also want to talk about, is I was listening to the rock classic station, and they played a couple of Hendrix songs in a row - Foxy Lady and Red House. I've heard Foxy Lady many many times, but I really listened to the lyrics today, it they are just so funny. For example,
I wanna take you home
I wont do you no harm, no
Youve got to be all mine, all mine
Ooh, foxy lady
and
I've made up my mind
Im tired of wasting all my precious time
Youve got to be all mine, all mine
Foxy lady
Here I come
So, here's a seduction song which is not exactly what you would call traditional - it's more threatening than anything else. If I were the girl being seduced, I'd actually be pretty scared, to be honest. I'd want to get the heck out of there.
But, then the crazy, half insane, demonic guitar and that oh so cool voice. Then there's Red House. Red House is a blues tune, if I've ever heard one. Twelve-bar blues for sure. But blues with the Hendrix twist, that gives it a unique sound. The guy was such an innovater, musically. In my mind, I've always thought of him as the greatest guitar player ever, but part of his greatness at least was his ground-beaking sound which paved the way for so many future greats. In particular, my favorite absolute player, Stevie Ray Vaughan, whom I intend to prattle about at length at some point.
Ok, back to the nitty-gritty life stuff. i jogged and played tennis today. I was 171 this morning, but I refuse to divulge whether or not I checked my weight afterwards. Ok, so I did. But, but I got a great tip from Nir today about hydrating *while* you're doing your event. I will immediately give this a trying during tennis. I played my brother today, and after a loss last week, was back in form and won 6-2 6-4. Actually, he is getting pretty good. I can no longer attribute his good shots to just luck. He played doubles over the winter, and I didn't play, so he brought his game up a notch relative to me. He hit some pretty good shots today, which I wasn't prepared for, especially off of some solid first services that came flying back at me at the net that I wasn't able to handle. He's in a better shape than he has been in the past.
But, I'm starting to wonder. The problem is, priorities. I know. A boring topic. But, the problem is, I'm trying to get this master's degree, and I need to relearn math, basically from scatch. Algebra, in particular, I need to re-learn (or learn, because I never got it down in the first place). You really need to know your algebra if you're going to take a more advanced math course.
It all starts with the old algebra. Actually, I don't mind it that much, now that I'm paying attention. I don't love it, or anything, but I'm gradually getting acclimated to it. I had to swtich from this really thin, terse book to something a little bit more polished, the Schaumer's guide to Intermediate Algebra. The problem with the thin, terse book was that for the solutions, it only gives you the answers - not how it got there. So, if you get it wrong, you have to figure out on your own why you got it wrong. And, sometimes you can't, which is really, really frustrating and really annoying.
The Schaumer's book, on the other hand, does give many examples which explain how they got to the answer. Plus, it does a much better job of explaining things. So, I'm working my way through some of the excercises in that now.
But, back to my original problem. I think I'm just going to have to accept the fact that I'm not going to be in tip-top shape while I'm in the process of getting this Master's degree. I need to focus on that, and get it out of the way. I'm coming to the most challenging phase, because the math course I need to take - I think it's going to be Data Structures and Algorithms - is the toughest course by far offered by the meanest professor by far in the whole program. It has two nominal prerequisites - Data Structures and Discrete Math, and in particular the Discrete math requires some math background. And, also for this course, it wouldn't hurt to have some familiarity with statistics.
So, I'm essentially going to have to educate myself in algebra, statistics, and possibly Discrete Math, or take a course in it, as well as take the Data Structures course. This is going to take some time, and I need to get to it. And, there's the rub. For every minute I'm jogging or playing tennis, I'm not getting this math stuff out of the way. And the clock is ticking.
I'm not saying I'm going just give up completely and start eating like a madman. But I have got down to 171, which isn't bad, down 10 from when I started. I just am going to accept that there won't be a six-pack for Jack, until this degree is done. The tennis will have to gradually drop by the wayside, too, temporarily. For now, I'll stick with the jogging, which only takes 1/2 hour. Come fall, we'll see.
(Btw, if *anyone* read through all of these ravings, you're a saint! Don't mind me, I just like to write - sometimes)
Jack
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zenobia
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 13 July 2008 05:43 am |
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yay! i get to be canonized! "saint zenobia"... has a nice ring, eh? "saint zen"? hmmm... sort of ironic, i think.
well, jack, you know, from experience, that i could go on for hours about music. so i will just say a few words or else it will be almost entirely impossible to break myself away from the topic.
omg, you listen to talk radio more than music? AGH! i am never talking to you again! good god, i didn't know you are one of "them"! (naw, it's cool, hey, i've confessed a few guilty pleasures throughout this place! )
yes, the soul needs music. i like how you compared it to plants needing rain. music does drench your soul. neat.
first, yes, that is sort of creepy. kind of like the police- every breath you take- it's really creepy, but so many poel have it as "thier" song. weird. ya want some freaky stuff? do you like the velvet underground? listen to "venus in furs". a seduction song in it's own right, but definately non-traditional (also, man, dig that chorus "i am tired/ i am weary/ i could sleep/ for a thougsand years..." so cool, so so cool).
on the school and working out issue. i was going through my last semseter of college, and it was the hardest semester i have ever had. i spent about 9 hours a day in front of the computer, more if i didn't have class or work that day. i worked out daily for the first few weeks, then i stopped (my required gym class only lasted half the semseter- and no, that is NOT what made the semester so difficult!). i ate a really skimpy diet and ended up dropping a few lbs, but it turned out to be almost all muscle (and i had an active job, on my feet about 26 hours a week, not to mention walking to and from class). i gianed it back over the course of a few days (well, it was christmas time) and found it extremely difficult to work out again. i sort of lost it. my stamina dropped dramatically and i was weaker.
really, if you can manage even only 30 min a day of doing something active, it will do wonders for you. it helps blood flow to the brain, keeping your mind sharp. it gives you time to focus on your body and it's connection to your mind. you are a runner, don't you get that "high"? working out can almost be meditative. it lowers stress levels, it takes your mind off things (and no, you can't think about math 24/7! you want to go crazy?!). i think it would be quite beneficial to try to get in a bit, at least. it reminds you that you are a whole person, not just a brain.
but these are just my impressions, the things i thought of after the fact. i wish i took my own advice, an di hopefully will in the future. i know exactly how you feel though. i'm just giving you my two cents. if you don't take my advice, don't worry, i'll still dig ya!
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 13 July 2008 04:29 pm |
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Hey Zen!
(When I learn to work the quotes, I'll do it the way everyone else does. But for now, I'll just precede your comments with "//")
// yay! i get to be canonized! "saint zenobia"... has a nice ring, eh?
// "saint zen"? hmmm... sort of ironic, i think.
Zen, you are a saint, absolutely. I guess the irony means you've got a little bit of the devil in there somewhere, too? Nice combination.
//omg, you listen to talk radio more than music? AGH!
//i am never talking to you again! good god, i didn't know you
// are one of "them"! (naw, it's cool, hey, i've
//confessed a few guilty pleasures throughout this place!)
Yup, I am. I'm embarassed about it, in fact. But, yeah, it's a guilty pleasure. I like that. What's so bad about that? At least I don't listen to conservative talk radio. Well, not often. Never Rush Limbaugh.
// first, yes, that is sort of creepy. kind of like the police-
// every breath you take- it's really creepy, but so many
// poel have it as "thier" song. weird.
Seriously? I don't get it!
It's kind of like Catcher in the Rye. A great book, really great, it was one of my favorites for a long time. It turns out that for assassins, like the guy who killed John lennon, it's their favorite book, too. I guess the themes of alienation, isolation and despair hit a chord, there. My daughter just things Holden Caufield is a drama queen, though.
//ya want some freaky stuff?
Yup.
// do you like the velvet underground? listen to "venus in furs".
Wow That is a freaky tune, alright - I love it! Althoush, (TMI warning) I'm usually, er, well lets just say "Brown Sugar" works for me. But - it's just the other side of the same coin, isn't it?
//on the school and working out issue. i was going through
// my last semseter of college, and it was the hardest
// semester i have ever had. i spent about 9 hours a
//day in front of the computer, more if i didn't have class
// or work that day. i worked
//out daily for the first few weeks, then i stopped
// (my required gym class only lasted
// half the semseter- and no, that is NOT
// what made the semester so difficult!).
Ok - got it. Volleyball wasn't the issue, then.
// i ate a really skimpy diet and ended up dropping a few lbs,
// but it turned out to be //almost all muscle (and i had an active job,
// on my feet about 26 hours a week, not //to mention walking to
// and from class). i gianed it back over the course of a few
//days (well, it was christmas time) and found it extremely
// difficult to work out again.
//i sort of lost it. my stamina dropped dramatically
// and i was weaker.
Yeah, that's exactly what I'm concerned about. If I undereat, no stanima. But, with no excercise, or even with some, I gain. it's mostly the time crunch, added to the commute, makes it tough to get much done during the week, even without excercise.
// really, if you can manage even only 30 min a day of doing
// something active, it will do wonders for you.
// it helps blood flow to the brain, keeping your mind sharp. it
// gives you time to focus on your body and it's
// connection to your mind. you are a runner, don't you get that "high"?
// working out can almost be meditative.
I guess. I defininitely do feel better after a workout, for sure.
Oh yeah, yesterday, it was so hot jogging, although it was only 10:30 in the morning, that I actually found myself stopping a few times. It was kind of smoggy, too. But, then I just kept saying, if I make it to the next car, if I make it to the next car, and that ended up getting me back, before I knew it.
// it lowers stress levels, it takes your mind off things (and no,
// you can't think about math 24/7!
I'll be happy to be able to think usefully about math about two hours a day, not counting weekends...
// you want to go crazy?!).
I know - math #%@&!.
// i think it would be quite beneficial to try to get in a bit, at least. it reminds you that // you are a whole person, not just a brain.
True; words to live by. Can I quote you on that?
// if you don't take my advice, don't worry, i'll still dig ya!
Ahh. thanks, Zen. You are a saint. Or an angel. You're definitely helping me out. I'm in a better mood, already
ps - 170 this morning - I'm substituting sugar-free gum for late-night snacking - gives something for my mouth to do.
Jack
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mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 5732 |
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Posted: 13 July 2008 04:30 pm |
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I enjoyed reading your post Jack. There should be a balance - maybe a six-pack is not in the cards but certainly like you said if you can jog 1/2 hour that will keep you on track and help you stay balanced and healthy. 
Besides, six-packs are overrated. Anyone can have them. On the other hand, there are few people with your gift of intellect and so you are doing what many others could not hope to accomplish. It is so impressive that at this stage of life you continue to thirst for new experiences, new knowledge. Stay true to what your priorities are in this life.
Come to think of it, I don't remember 6-packs being on anyone's $5M wish list. 
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 14 July 2008 02:22 am |
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MM, Thanks for the encouraging words I actually don't feel too gifted intellectually when I struggle for hours over a simple algebra problem, then my sister and a buddy both solve it in moments. But, that's what I get for not trying in math when I was in h.s. The only one of the math subjects that made sense to me was geometry - it was easier to visualize, I think.
Had the family over for a cookout today, celebrating my daughter and niece's birthdays. My wife did a nice job getting everthing ready, so all I really had to do was enjoy the afternoon. The weather couldn't have been better. People stayed on longer than usual; the party didn't break up till about 8 p.m. It was just so easy to hang out and chill. We have a new fence up, replacing the delapitated old one, and it looks good.
I didn't do to badly regarding the food. I didn't have anything for breakfast, because i wanted to enjoy the food, but I was actually a bit light-headed by the time people started showing up. I got some food into my system, and after a while felt normal enough to have a couple of beers. But after that, I just drank water. Nir woke me up about the importance of keeping hydrated, which is something I've never really paid a lot of attention to before. That's one thing that makes this forum so valuable - people give you good advice and of course there is the constant encouragment.
Well, work to tomorrow. I want to get in and check in the documentation I did, then get started on testing out this one aspect of the last project we never got going on site. But, to check it in, I need to add a couple of more descriptions. I'd rather do it now that tomorrow so it's looks like I actually did something on Friday.
I had insomnia last night, so I started checking the handouts from this math course I'm planning to take. That's when I got stuck on the algebra problem.
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zenobia
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 16 July 2008 05:40 am |
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hiya jack!
yes, you can quote me
sounds like the grilling was fun! yeah, algebra is a toughie. i have always been the type to prefer geometry, too. i like being able to see it- i can visualize things better.... as in, i think i would be really good at pool if i practiced because i am always trying to line up the angles in my mind's eye. eh, just because you stumble over a sinlge problem doesn't mean you climb over that mountain....
so you are down to 170! that's great! i am a wee bit jealous. wish things would speed up for me, but the last few days certainly won't have helped my plight in the least. oh well, my own fault.
because it's not right to stop by and not mention music, i have been on a moody blues kick lately. are you a fan? just curious....
Last edited on 16 July 2008 05:41 am by zenobia
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 16 July 2008 06:11 am |
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Got up nice an early today - saw the sunrise as I was jogging - I forgot how cool a sunrise can be. It was a big orange ball sitting just up over the water of the bay, laying a bar of reflected fire onto the water, a molten bridge straight up to the beach. A star-bridge. Then I noticed the sailboats floating out in the water near the yacht club. Just little one or two person jobs, a half-dozen to a dozen that were out there. Under the sunrise, they looked like an early Cezanne painting. I saw more sailboats down by the pond, cleanly reflected along with the green trees and sky and the boathouse on the pond's surface. There is something surreal about those upside-down views that cathches you by surprises every time.
Back to more mundane topics - I gained a couple of pounds due to the cookout and a piece of cake last night and a big dinner tonight. Slipping a bit from my low of 170 this weekend, 173 now. Got to tighten up.
Oh, unfortunately, B got laid off. It's not the economics - he wasn't managing to get his work done. Very pleasant guy, just couldn't pull it together work-wise. Strange, he has a P.H.D. in math & physics, and here I can't do algebra. But the name of the game if you're into software is deliverables - that's one thing I'm smart enough to have figured out.
I've had insomnia recently - can't get to sleep till 2, except last night, when I was out by 11:30.
I'm still banging away at the algebra. I'm better if I study it in the morning, it makes more sense then. But nights when I'm up. I can still get something out of it.
I'm going to get organized about my approach. I'm going to stick with the Shaum's book for now; stop all the skipping around; work off of one notebook; if I don't get a problem, I'll mark it on the notebook, and then ask someone later about it. Don't spend *too* much time on any problem, but give it a shot. Find that happy medium.
I did solve a couple of tricky radical questions in the dense, thin book on the drive in this morning. That felt good. I understood something, had an ah-ha moment. But, that book is too thin - not enough explanation. The only reason I look at it now is I can glance at it during the commute, and try to solve the problems in my head. I can do it for the easy ones.
My daughter's on vacation with friends this week. We are seriously transitioning into empty-nest mode. I'm suddenly thinking about moving somewhat closer to work. But what a time to try to sell a house. And there's no way I'm buying anything until the house is *sold*. Anyway, it's something to think about. Condo, anyone?
Ok, 1 pm. Maybe I'll try to get some sleep. But, the best way to fall asleep is to read in bed. Problem is, my wife is always in bed before me, so I can't turn on the light. Maybe I'll get a flashlight, or rig something up...
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mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 5732 |
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Posted: 19 July 2008 04:46 am |
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Jack,
Hey there, nice post about the sunrise and the sailboats. Very nice.
I enjoyed the sunsets actually in Boston, from the vantage point at my hotel which overlooked the harbor and offered a panoramic view of downtown which lifted my heart in my chest at any time. I wasn't up early enough in the mornings to catch the sunrise. But I had the cool experience on Weds evening flying in of actually being 'at that point' in the sky where you are on the light horizon between day and night, just as we flew out over the ocean and made the big right turn to come back to Logan for the landing. I had no idea of all the little reefs or islands or whatever off the shore, it was gorgeous. And, apparently one cannot go to Boston without becoming an instant Red Sox fan. I think I am hooked. Next time I go there, there will be a game in my plans.
I am sure you are right about it not being a good time to sell a house but on the other hand whatever you buy you should be able to get for cheap, also. Hopefully it will all work out for ya.
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 19 July 2008 04:00 pm |
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Hey Zen,
You know what, I think it's cool you liked geometry. It's more visual, with the parallel lines and all that. Although, with algebra, maybe trig, once you get to the x-y graphs it becomes visual and easier to get.
The tricky part with algebra is the problem-solving - it's just a bunch of little letters and numbers, all tangled up together. Alphabet soup, with numbers and wierd symbols, to boot. Still, I'm very gradually starting to get the hang of it. Very gradually.
The lining up of angles, now that's interesting. That's something I don't do. You sound like you're really visual. Do you like art? I bet you do.
Well, I have been stuck in the 175-to 170 band for a while - I'm not going great guns as far as that goes. But hang in there on that diet! When you go to AZ, you'll have a fresh start. I'm rooting for ya!
The Moody Blues. Did they do Monday Monday, or was that the Mommas and Pappas? Ok, Knights in White Satin, oh yeah, they had some eminently recognizable hits. Yeah, I liked all those songs. The were a great pop group, with their own unique sound. I do remember a being disappointed at one point because I expected them to be a *blues* group  But, a great band, no doubt. It's amazing how a youngun' like yourself gets into the old 'time music. How did that happen?
Last edited on 19 July 2008 04:03 pm by jackbenimble
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 19 July 2008 04:10 pm |
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MM,
Welcome to Red Sox Nation! You will love going to Fenway. The best place to watch the game from is left field. Avoid right field like the plague...
Hey, why don't you ask for transfer to the Boston area? Why not? You only live once. You can do your running along Storrow drive!
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 19 July 2008 04:35 pm |
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Dear Diary,
I've started to do more work on the total gym and pushups and situps and side-leg raises. I'm jogging about every other day. I'm definitely seeing some progress in terms of how I look, since my upper body is getting a little bit bigger. It's kind of strange, after all these years, seeing a little bit of the V starting to come back. What concerns me is the fall/winter - will I be able to maintain the gains I've made? It's tougher to work out with the busier schedule and the *cold* outside. All I need is a place to jog - hmm, maybe I could work at the university where I take night classes? I bet I'm eligible, as a matriculated student. Ok, so I'm a slow jogger. Who cares? I'm faster than I was ten pounds ago.
One thing I need to improve on is my flexibility. I hardly ever stretch, but I think this is as imporant as anything. After a good stretching session, it's almost impossible not to relax.
I have to admit to myself, I'm still wasting time. Example, I watched the TV for like an hour last night. I watched the 50 top beat-downs last night. It was just video of boxing and thai boxing matches, footage of one guy knocking the other senseless, often with a single, stunning blow. The best one was #5, where one Thai boxer took out the other with a roundhouse kick to the temple from a standing position. It was amazing to watch. Imagine standing opposite a guy, with your fists raised, a trained fighter, checking him out, ready to parry - and suddenly to get whacked on the head with a concrete block out of nowhere and it turns out to be a kick?
Ok, my choice it do I work, or do I play? We have 3 deadlines, two on Monday, one Wednesday. Grump. I'll have to do a little work, at least. Grump again.
Weighed in at 170 this morning after jogging. I can definitely stand to lose another five - then I'll be happy. I just want to see that middle digit change from a 7, to a six, on a consistent basis.
Last edited on 19 July 2008 04:37 pm by jackbenimble
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jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 19 July 2008 10:43 pm |
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I just came here to blow off some steam. I hate how expensive colleges in America are. Do you know how much they cost in France? Zero! The averge private college tuition in Japan - $6800. Add room and board and it's probably 10,000 / year. Even in Montreal, everything added up is $24k - if you are a complete foriegner. Locals is 1/2 that - $12k.
At most of the schools my daughter got into, after deducting grants, we would've had to pay $30-$35 k per year. Why is America so much more? She ended up going to a state school, and altogether will still have to pay $17k per year as a family, and $12 k per year for the parents. Plus books, misc etc. 12k x 4 = 48k. Actually, that's about what I had estimated initially. 50k will basically wipe out our savings. We might be able to have a few bucks left since we're paying over 4 years.
Still, I don't get it. Why does Europe have free health care, free college and 8 weeks vacation a year? it. I just can't think about it. Hey, I still have my health. I have a job. I'll be an empty-nester in about a month and 1/2. I can work from home on Fridays. Gas pices are coming down. I have the day off. I'm six courses away from getting a masters, if I can learn math. I have to get religion, that's the real answer. Then, money doesn't matter as much. Rich man, needles eye.
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