Almost forgot

Breaking Bad is coming back for a second season.

If you haven't watched the first season... go do so now. It is amazingly good. Quite gritty and real compared to a lot of stuff out there.

Plus, seeing Bryan Cranston (the father from Malcolm in the Middle) being a badass is awesome in its own right.

-Later

Consequences

Some of the consequences for being sick are that yo send a lot of time doing nothing. So I've been spending time doing nothing. Well by nothing I mean watching TV and the such.

Anyways, I watched My Name is Bruce.. which is just hilarious. Check it out. So what if I have an unnatural affinity to Bruce Campbell. I've also been watching Dollhouse. The new Joss Whedon thing. Honestly, it sort of sucks. I'm trying to give it fair shot and the story is pretty interesting. The only problem is that Eliza Dushku is really bringing it down. I don't know if Joss is just trying to do a cross between Firefly and Buffy... but man.. it isn't working. Give me more spaceships.. seriously.

Let's see, what else. The Bridge is really good, yet incredibly depressing. I'd only suggest watching this if you have someone to talk about it afterwards with. Blood In Blood Out is epic in its cheesiness. Lots of medium name actors in this, I was sort of surprised. A decent watch though it drags on a bit in the middle.

That's about all I've watched lately. Can't wait to exchange TV time for workout time.

-Later

Sort of sick

So I've been fighting off a semi-cold for a few days now. Probably acquired it from some few Aikido practitioners during last weeks crazy aikidoness. It isn't excessively bad.. I sound like crap and my nose has decided to leak like a broken faucet (I really tried to come up with a better analogy.. but couldn't. I'm sick, leave me alone). I took yesterday off from work and just lazed around the house trying to drink a lot of fluids and not get snot over everything.

Anyways, today I woke up early since I didn't do crap yesterday. I went to work... putzed around there for about an hour.. then went to the gym. I'm tired of putting off things that I like to do only because I'm sick. Lifting wasn't so bad.. though I might have annoyed the fellow gym-goers since I was sniffling like a girl dumped the day of the prom (better analogy!)... but I felt good lifting. Probably taking the last 5 days off from lifting allowed my muscles to feel much better. After I lifted I went and swam for a bit. Hopefully the excessively chlorited YMCA water will help clear me out.

My throat still hurts, but I don't think it is from being sick. It isn't that sort of soreness. I think it is still from getting elbowed in the neck over the weekend. Since it only hurts on one side... and it is tender to the touch. Yes, my neck was tenderized by a guys elbow.

Ok, I'm out.

-Later

Ouch

So this weekend consisted of a lot of Aikido. A metric crap-ton of Aikido actually. I think it was roughly 7 hours on saturday with around 40 minutes of breaks and a few times where we were allowed off the mat to get water. Sunday was a tad easier.. but was still 4 hours. I'm a little torn up. All in all, it was that bad of a practice.

A few things I didn't enjoy. I think one of my toes is broken. Broken when someone fell on it with their elbow. I also go elbowed in the throat in such a way that it hurts to move, swallow, or pretty much anything. My whole body is pretty destroyed... good times all around.

I really hope my toe isn't broken. It is my... index toe.. and it is swollen and pretty colors. But I can still move it. So, it is hard to know. I've never broken a bone before, I don't want my first one to be from something stupid like this.



We'll see how it looks in the morning.

-Later

Stupid water

So, my apartment has this odd tendency as of late to have strange issues with the water. When I'm gone for a bit (work/vacation) or don't run it for awhile (work/sleep) it seems that either hot or cold taps just shoot out incredibly hot water.

So, if I come home.. I have to run the cold water for about 5 minutes before I can use it. Sometimes I forget... and will burn myself. Or be about to drink really hot water.

Sort of sucks if you ask me. Don't know why this is the case... and it really bugs me.

Especially if I'm trying to do a cold load of laundry.. since the first part of the cycle will fill with really hot water.

And trying to shower in the morning. Attempting to get the correct temperature without cold water is quite difficult.

Glad that I don't have to pay for water or the power needed to heat the water.

-Later

Frustration

It seems like a lot of things in my life at the moment are a tad frustrating. I've got the Aikido test coming up in late march.. and I still constantly feel that I don't know anything about Aikido. It is very very hard at times.. especially training in a different style. The more advanced stuff that I learn, the more that it is quite different from the style I originally trained in. I'll get through it of course but at the moment I feel very beaten down by Aikido.

With the economy the way it is, work is also quite annoying at the moment. Trying to sell high end bikes when people are losing their jobs is sort of trail in futility. We aren't doing that badly... just the owner has certain high expectations for things. Granted he has always not understood how the world works, it is annoying none the less.

My body doesn't always respond the way that I want it to. Working out, aikido, swimming, etc constantly can really drag me down. And for some reason, last night my ankle was doing really strange things. I've not experienced anything like it before... and someone did fall on my foot pretty hard on Sunday during Aikido training... so I hope it is just a tweaked nerve. I've skipped working out the last two days (gym stuff, not aikido stuff) in hopes that things will return to normal. But I'll be hitting the gym this afternoon/evening no matter what. Maybe the ankle just needs a good swim or lift to make it right.

Ok, I'm off.

-Later

Running out of things..

To read on the interweb. I've got a good selection of webcomics that I like to read, news sites, random stuff sites... but lately I've been feeling bored with these.

Do any of you out there have any sites that you love to read everyday? I don't care if it is crazy gossip stuff.. just curious what other people out there are reading to entertain themselves in between working or whatever else it is people do.

-Later

Stereotyping

Now, I know it is a bad thing... and that we shouldn't do it. But this past weekend while traveling I noticed two that just sort of stuck in my mind and made me laugh, if only to myself.

While flying, I was sitting in a row with a black (African American.. but honestly, I'm not that PC) lady. When they were coming around asking for drinks she asked for grape soda. I nearly lost it. First, I wasn't aware that people actually drank grape soda... and secondly, who actually believes that American Airlines would have grape soda? Seriously.

When walking through the airport.. I always sort of wonder why there are expensive shops located randomly throughout the airport. Do people really want to get an overpriced Big Mac then wander over to Mont Blanc and buy an overpriced pen? Actually.. when I think of it like that... yes, yes they do.

So, I was walking back from landing and saw a fancy, overpriced jewelry store (I've forgotten the name) but I can be sure they were selling diamonds of some sort. Which made the fact that a group of orthodox Jewish men were standing around looking at the jewelry. Of course, they might have been wanting to purchase some for their wives... but come on, give me a break.

I just found these two incidents which occurred in quick succession sort of humorous and stood out in my mind. Now I've passed them onto you.

-Later

Aikido

So, assuming I get all the paperwork filled out, I'll be testing for my Nidan (2nd degree black belt) in late March. I'm very much excited about this prospect as well as nervous as hell. I've only been back on the math for about 6 months... so being asked to test is quite the honor. But I'm also slightly apprehensive about it due to the same fact. I can't really say "no" to my Sensei, since she is sort of bending the rules to allow me to test.. and I don't think I would say no even if I wouldn't get my ass beat for disrespecting the offer.

With the plans to move coming up, this is a great chance for me to get my next rank without having to "start over" at a new school. True, another school could merely assume that I have the necessary skill-set to test... but it takes time to assess that. So this will allow me to test, acquire the rank (assuming I pass of course!) and move to a new dojo and begin training anew for sandan... which is many years in my future.

Ok, just wanted to let all of you peoples know that if I'm bitching and moaning about getting my ass-kicked in Aikido.. this is why.

-Later

Oh burn...

Even god hates cows...


via TYWKIWDBI.

-Later

This coming week..

So they say that it is going to be in the 40s here this weekend. I am very doubtful of this statement considering that it feels to be around zero outside right now. Don't know how that is going to happen, but I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed that it'll warm up soon.

I've been really enjoying my new shoes. They look crazy and probably make me look even crazier, but I really do enjoy them.

Granted that I get a lot of strange looks while wearing them. People seem to mistake them for socks since there isn't much too them. They can be used for running, and if I ever get off my ass and running again I'll let you know how they are.

Geoff seems to think that these shoes are quite stupid. In contrast, I'll post a picture of the shoes he is wearing today.
These are what are referred to as "Math Teacher Shoes". Can't you just see Stuart wandering around in a pair of these, laces undone, attempting to teach some poor undergrad the beauty of infinite limits? I can.

I personally think mine are cooler, albeit it dorkier.

I'm sure no one will agree with me.

I hate you all.

-Later

wooo

Achewood is back for a delightfully well written comic containing many names which I have no hope of ever pronouncing.

Also, Questionable Content today basically tells the story of our New Year's festivities... minus the drinking of course.

Settlers of Catan was bad enough without drinking.. but perhaps had Joey been forced to drink I would have stood a chance at winning.

-Later