Wow, it's been almost a year since I've posted an entry here. Not a lot has happened to me since last May, so I'll sum up quickly. I went to Comic Con in July with the DAM boys and had a blast, as always. I spent the fall and winter baking lots of goodies, especially cupcakes and fondant cakes. In early March, I started getting interested in the presidential race, especially about Ron Paul's campaign. I became the town captain for the RP grassroots organization and in the county caucus, was elected delegate chair and we got more than half of our town's delegate slots filled with Ron Paul supporters. Lately, I've been busy with work as usual, and started running again to burn off those winter pounds from all that wonderful baking. Which brings us to today, and why I suddenly felt like blogging again.
For the past couple of weeks, I discovered that I really, really love to run. I love it because I used to think I couldn't do it, and it makes me feel great to try, and try, and find that I can do this. Nothing in my life has been as empowering as running has. The best moment for me was on a rainy day earlier this week. I ran well over my goal of 5k (with some walking breaks as I'm still a noob), but the best was running in the rain. It made me feel truly committed. I was doing this difficult thing (that was slowly getting easier) during a downpour, which would have been a deterrent in the past. I felt so liberated. And proud. The best part though, was that my motivation had changed. I first started running to get rid of a few extra pounds and simply to see if I could do it. Now the motivation is to run farther, with less walk breaks less often. To finish a 5km race. Then a 10km. Then a half marathon. The getting in shape is now a happy side effect of doing this totally fulfilling thing.
It hasn't been easy. At first when I tried to run, I could barely continue for 30 seconds without feeling completely winded. It seemed impossible. Once I was able to endure a minute, then two minutes at a time, I had a new problem. Shin pain. It happened every time I ran, and the more I tried to push through it, the worse it got. This has been my biggest hurdle so far because I know that if you don't let yourself rest when you feel that pain, you could develop stress fractures. I was terribly afraid that the shin splints would continue forever, and that really depressed me. I finally wanted to run. I didn't want to let this be an excuse not to run. I was afraid if I took a couple days off from running to heal then I would either lose the little endurance that I built up, or worse, lose the desire to run altogether.
Well I got through the rest time by reading constantly about other runners' experiences on reddit.com/r/running (also known as Runnit) and finding out how others dealt with shin splints. I bought some new sneakers and decided to work harder on my form when I felt fit to run again. I went to the gym, did some stationary biking and leg toning. Yesterday I gave Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred a try. That was a toughie!
Today I decided to try for a run in the new sneakers. I shortened my stride, being careful not to "stomp" my foot down. I let each foot push off the ground, which felt natural. My body was completely sore from yesterday's killer workout, but my shins didn't bother me at all! I managed to run for a couple of minutes at a time before having to walk. Not too bad. I know that once my muscles recover from Jillian's abuse, I will have a much easier time running. I'll be able to gradually extend my running times.
So now I can work towards my first goal: competing in and finishing a 5km race. I'd like to start a podcast with someone else who is interested in pursuing similar goals, but until I find that person, I can share my experiences on here.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Homemade Suede Wrap Watch
Browsing through a magazine, I discovered this really hot watch that uses black suede cord to wrap around the wrist.
I instantly fell in love, but being cheap, and crafty, I thought I could make one for half the price. I went to the craft store and picked up 6m of black suede cord for $3.99, and then ordered a similarly styled watch face from eBay for about $10 with shipping. I cut six long pieces of the suede, tied half of them onto each side of the watch, and voila - quick and easy suede wrap watch!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Can I train myself to accomplish anything in a year?
As summer slowly approaches, I keep telling myself that soon I will have to start eating better and exercising regularly to become "beach ready" again. I'm not there yet, and though people will always tell me I look great and don't have to lose weight, I know that it's because I wear my clothes well and can conceal the flab. But just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there, and doesn't mean I have to live with it any longer. So, I continue to tell myself that soon I'll do something about it.
Browsing iBooks today, I came across 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. Intrigued by the description, I downloaded the free sample (38 pages!), and after becoming engrossed, purchased the full book. I rarely pay full price for ANY book, preferring to pick up second-hand reads from yard sales or from friends or family. But after reading that sample, I was pumped to finally get started on my own "body remodeling" plan.
I'm about 100 pages in, and after reading a throwaway sentence about meeting a book writing goal by writing just 2 pages a day, I thought, what if I did that? I've always wanted to write a book. Two pages a day times 365 days is 730 pages. I could write a book in a year. I could do that.
What else could I apply that model to? Money? I've never learned to save money. It's damn near impossible, at least that's how it seems. Money burns a hole in my pocket, and I've never been able to exert discipline over my finances. I just always make a little more than I need to pay my bills. Anything extra is gone before it can gather dust. So, what if I save just $10 a week? In one year, that's $520. It's not like I'd miss that $10 every week. I could do that.
I've also been thinking about learning to run. Ok, I know HOW to run. I run pretty well actually. For about 30 seconds until I feel like my chest is going to burst into flames. Anything longer seems physically impossible. But what if I plan on running everyday, starting with 30 seconds at a time, after which I can just walk leisurely. And maybe everyday I increase that running time by just 5 seconds? By the end of a week, I'd be up to a full minute. By the end of a month, I could be up to five minutes. In a year, it could be a marathon. Is it possible? It's not impossible. I could do that too.
I guess the tricky part of reaching any goal is sticking to it. But I know I can do that. I've done it before with other goals, so why not now?
What else could I accomplish in one year?
Browsing iBooks today, I came across 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. Intrigued by the description, I downloaded the free sample (38 pages!), and after becoming engrossed, purchased the full book. I rarely pay full price for ANY book, preferring to pick up second-hand reads from yard sales or from friends or family. But after reading that sample, I was pumped to finally get started on my own "body remodeling" plan.
I'm about 100 pages in, and after reading a throwaway sentence about meeting a book writing goal by writing just 2 pages a day, I thought, what if I did that? I've always wanted to write a book. Two pages a day times 365 days is 730 pages. I could write a book in a year. I could do that.
What else could I apply that model to? Money? I've never learned to save money. It's damn near impossible, at least that's how it seems. Money burns a hole in my pocket, and I've never been able to exert discipline over my finances. I just always make a little more than I need to pay my bills. Anything extra is gone before it can gather dust. So, what if I save just $10 a week? In one year, that's $520. It's not like I'd miss that $10 every week. I could do that.
I've also been thinking about learning to run. Ok, I know HOW to run. I run pretty well actually. For about 30 seconds until I feel like my chest is going to burst into flames. Anything longer seems physically impossible. But what if I plan on running everyday, starting with 30 seconds at a time, after which I can just walk leisurely. And maybe everyday I increase that running time by just 5 seconds? By the end of a week, I'd be up to a full minute. By the end of a month, I could be up to five minutes. In a year, it could be a marathon. Is it possible? It's not impossible. I could do that too.
I guess the tricky part of reaching any goal is sticking to it. But I know I can do that. I've done it before with other goals, so why not now?
What else could I accomplish in one year?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Custom iPad Sleeve
I have a confession to make. I cheated on my Sleeve 360 iPad case. I never thought I would need another case (and I don't), but I guess I have a wandering eye for iPad accessories. Browsing the web, I came across this article about a homemade iPad case, made simply out of felt and metal eyelets. I loved it. I wanted to make my own, only prettier.
This is what I came up with:
Like the iPad sleeve in the other article, this was surprisingly inexpensive to make. Five bucks for the felt, four for the brass eyelets, and two for the satin ribbon. Of course, putting the eyelets in turned out to be no easy feat. I'm pretty sure I have now ruined any relationship I may have had with my surrounding neighbors. Hammering those eyelets was tedious and LOUD. But look how pretty!
Front and Back views
This is what I came up with:
Like the iPad sleeve in the other article, this was surprisingly inexpensive to make. Five bucks for the felt, four for the brass eyelets, and two for the satin ribbon. Of course, putting the eyelets in turned out to be no easy feat. I'm pretty sure I have now ruined any relationship I may have had with my surrounding neighbors. Hammering those eyelets was tedious and LOUD. But look how pretty!
Front and Back views
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Using iPad in the Kitchen
In October of 2009 I posted that all I wanted for Christmas was an ebook reader. Well that didn't happen, mainly because I wasn't sold on the Kindle or the Nook. A lot has changed in 18 months! Two Apple tablets have been unleashed on the world, and as it turns out, it wasn't an ebook reader that I wanted at all. Yes, my iPad does serve as one, and I do use it to read books and magazines now and then, but it is so much more than that for me!
One of the places I most enjoy using the iPad is in the kitchen. Sometimes I use it to display recipes - from cooking apps, from the web, from magazine photos, from my own collection - and sometimes I use it as a portable tv for distraction while washing dishes and cleaning up post-dinner. Here are some great accessories and tips for iPad kitchen use.
1. The "handiest" iPad case ever
After buying my iPad, the first accessory I had to get was a decent case. I needed one that was going to be durable and versatile for the many uses I knew I would have. I scoured the web and found not only the best and most adaptable case for me, but for only $35 with free shipping. Anyone who has searched for iPad cases can attest that most good cases cost upwards of $50. So what makes the Sleeve 360 such an awesome iPad holder?
The sturdy, adjustable handstrap! Just slide your hand in, adjust the velcro strap as needed, and you have a comfortable way to carry your iPad. The strap connector also rotates so it's easy to swivel iPad around to portrait mode from landscape without removing your hand. It also has a built-in stand so you can stand your iPad on the counter vertically or horizontally while you cook:
In addition, you can slide the strap connector off altogether and flip out two little feet for typing on a slightly raised angle. Perfect for editing a recipe on the fly, or for typing up a blog post like this one.
2. Towel bar and hanging metal basket
I bought this towel bar/basket combo from Ikea last fall, never realizing just how much it would improve my dishwashing experience until I bought my iPad and Sleeve 360 case. Remember that handy strap I mentioned before? When it's time to wash a large load of dishes, I set my iPad in this metal basket, and hook the Velcro strap of the case securely around the towel bar. Now I can watch a tv show or podcast while I scrub and doing dishes isn't such a chore anymore.
3. Apps for cooking
There are a ton of great recipe apps out there - Epicurious, Betty Crocker, AllRecipes, and Big Oven, to name a few - but there are also some other-use apps that work great as recipe savers as well. As a compulsive recipe hoarder, I have recipes everywhere: in magazines and physical cookbooks, scribbled on index cards, saved from the web to Google Reader, in my iOS notes, and on my cooking blog. I use one versatile app for saving any of these to my iPad and cataloguing them in one place: Evernote.
Evernote has become the catch-all for my recipes for a number of reasons: the ability to save text or photos as notes, the ability to group notes into "Notebooks" (I call them "Cookbooks"), tagging to sort recipes by ingredients, and syncing across multiple devices. If I'm using a dead-tree cookbook, I can snap a photo of the page and upload it as a note to Evernote, tag it, and save it to the appropriate cookbook. Next time I need that recipe, I can search by ingredients in Evernote and view it on my iPad instead of hunting through my 30 cookbooks, trying to remember which one is hiding it! If I'm reading the latest issue of Good Housekeeping on my Zinio app and I see a great recipe to try later, I just snap a screenshot and add to Evernote. If I'm searching the web and find a recipe, I can hit the Evernote button on my browser window and save it quickly that way. No matter where I find the recipe, there's a quick and easy way to add it to my digital cookbook library, and it's always with me.
4. Clear plastic wrap
I've been reading about the many ways people are finding to protect their iPads from kitchen spills and splashes, and of them I find clear plastic wrap to be the best choice for me. It's inexpensive, thin enough for effective swiping and scrolling, and doesn't soak through. Great for cooking or dishwash-video-viewing!
Well that's about it for my iPad kitchen tips. If I remember any more, I'll be sure to add them, and if you have any of your own, I'd love to hear them!
One of the places I most enjoy using the iPad is in the kitchen. Sometimes I use it to display recipes - from cooking apps, from the web, from magazine photos, from my own collection - and sometimes I use it as a portable tv for distraction while washing dishes and cleaning up post-dinner. Here are some great accessories and tips for iPad kitchen use.
1. The "handiest" iPad case ever
After buying my iPad, the first accessory I had to get was a decent case. I needed one that was going to be durable and versatile for the many uses I knew I would have. I scoured the web and found not only the best and most adaptable case for me, but for only $35 with free shipping. Anyone who has searched for iPad cases can attest that most good cases cost upwards of $50. So what makes the Sleeve 360 such an awesome iPad holder?
The sturdy, adjustable handstrap! Just slide your hand in, adjust the velcro strap as needed, and you have a comfortable way to carry your iPad. The strap connector also rotates so it's easy to swivel iPad around to portrait mode from landscape without removing your hand. It also has a built-in stand so you can stand your iPad on the counter vertically or horizontally while you cook:
In addition, you can slide the strap connector off altogether and flip out two little feet for typing on a slightly raised angle. Perfect for editing a recipe on the fly, or for typing up a blog post like this one.
2. Towel bar and hanging metal basket
I bought this towel bar/basket combo from Ikea last fall, never realizing just how much it would improve my dishwashing experience until I bought my iPad and Sleeve 360 case. Remember that handy strap I mentioned before? When it's time to wash a large load of dishes, I set my iPad in this metal basket, and hook the Velcro strap of the case securely around the towel bar. Now I can watch a tv show or podcast while I scrub and doing dishes isn't such a chore anymore.
3. Apps for cooking
There are a ton of great recipe apps out there - Epicurious, Betty Crocker, AllRecipes, and Big Oven, to name a few - but there are also some other-use apps that work great as recipe savers as well. As a compulsive recipe hoarder, I have recipes everywhere: in magazines and physical cookbooks, scribbled on index cards, saved from the web to Google Reader, in my iOS notes, and on my cooking blog. I use one versatile app for saving any of these to my iPad and cataloguing them in one place: Evernote.
Evernote has become the catch-all for my recipes for a number of reasons: the ability to save text or photos as notes, the ability to group notes into "Notebooks" (I call them "Cookbooks"), tagging to sort recipes by ingredients, and syncing across multiple devices. If I'm using a dead-tree cookbook, I can snap a photo of the page and upload it as a note to Evernote, tag it, and save it to the appropriate cookbook. Next time I need that recipe, I can search by ingredients in Evernote and view it on my iPad instead of hunting through my 30 cookbooks, trying to remember which one is hiding it! If I'm reading the latest issue of Good Housekeeping on my Zinio app and I see a great recipe to try later, I just snap a screenshot and add to Evernote. If I'm searching the web and find a recipe, I can hit the Evernote button on my browser window and save it quickly that way. No matter where I find the recipe, there's a quick and easy way to add it to my digital cookbook library, and it's always with me.
4. Clear plastic wrap
I've been reading about the many ways people are finding to protect their iPads from kitchen spills and splashes, and of them I find clear plastic wrap to be the best choice for me. It's inexpensive, thin enough for effective swiping and scrolling, and doesn't soak through. Great for cooking or dishwash-video-viewing!
Well that's about it for my iPad kitchen tips. If I remember any more, I'll be sure to add them, and if you have any of your own, I'd love to hear them!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Why I loved and hated the Lost finale
Warning: This blog post contains spoilers on the final season of Lost.
I don't have a lot to say about the Lost finale - surprising after having so much to say about the show during the six year duration - so I'll keep this brief. Mainly I just want to vent without spoiling people on Twitter or Facebook.
I loved, loved, loved the first two hours of the Lost finale. It was so great seeing my favorite Losties reunite with their loved ones in the sideways world. It was both gut-wrenching and uplifting, and the anticipation of what lie ahead was thrilling.
The final scenes were beautiful and poignant, with Jack finding out that they were dead, and were brought together in that moment to help each other move on. It really was lovely.
Now to explain why at that moment I yelled obscenities at my television and burst into tears of frustration -
Six years.
It's been six years of smoke monsters, dead people walking, horses, polar bears, hurley birds, numbers, hatches, orientation films with numbered bunnies, immortality, statue feet, kidnapped kids, mothers dying during birth, time travel, donkey wheels, magic-mirrored lighthouses, and oodles more of ridiculous mysteries that remain ridiculous mysteries. I took each new easter egg or supernatural occurrence as they came, expecting that this would ultimately make some kind of sense because the writers stated that they had a plan, and no, this isn't purgatory.
I love the idea of the Losties finding each other in death, and Hurley giving them this gift as the new protector of the island. If the point of the show is the characters, then why the hell all of the mysteries? Do you not think your show is capable of retaining viewers with just well-written characters, with interesting flashbacks and beautifully interwoven stories?
The fact is Lost could have been a wonderful drama without all of that nonsense, on its true merits: the characters, the desert-island-crash, and the interesting connections. They could have even kept this beautiful death-limbo-scenario, and it would have worked.
So, yes, I feel cheated. I guess if you're tuning in to a show that is set up to be this fascinating series of mysteries, then yes, you're going to feel cheated if none of those are paid off. If you're tuning in for a show about fascinating characters stranded on a deserted island, last night's finale would have been absolutely phenomenal and satisfying. I'm sure that's why the writers continued to stress that Lost was more than anything about the characters. If that were true, they wouldn't have had to throw in all of that extraneous supernatural mystery and easter egg stuff.
In my humble opinion, as an ardent Lost fan and former Lost apologist, they would have done better to either leave all that other stuff out, or attempt to actually explain it. Some might say not doing so is an example of lazy writing.
Now that I got that off my chest, I'm going to go watch the finale for a second time, desperately looking for any reason to prove that I'm entirely wrong about all of this. Namaste.
I don't have a lot to say about the Lost finale - surprising after having so much to say about the show during the six year duration - so I'll keep this brief. Mainly I just want to vent without spoiling people on Twitter or Facebook.
I loved, loved, loved the first two hours of the Lost finale. It was so great seeing my favorite Losties reunite with their loved ones in the sideways world. It was both gut-wrenching and uplifting, and the anticipation of what lie ahead was thrilling.
The final scenes were beautiful and poignant, with Jack finding out that they were dead, and were brought together in that moment to help each other move on. It really was lovely.
Now to explain why at that moment I yelled obscenities at my television and burst into tears of frustration -
Six years.
It's been six years of smoke monsters, dead people walking, horses, polar bears, hurley birds, numbers, hatches, orientation films with numbered bunnies, immortality, statue feet, kidnapped kids, mothers dying during birth, time travel, donkey wheels, magic-mirrored lighthouses, and oodles more of ridiculous mysteries that remain ridiculous mysteries. I took each new easter egg or supernatural occurrence as they came, expecting that this would ultimately make some kind of sense because the writers stated that they had a plan, and no, this isn't purgatory.
I love the idea of the Losties finding each other in death, and Hurley giving them this gift as the new protector of the island. If the point of the show is the characters, then why the hell all of the mysteries? Do you not think your show is capable of retaining viewers with just well-written characters, with interesting flashbacks and beautifully interwoven stories?
The fact is Lost could have been a wonderful drama without all of that nonsense, on its true merits: the characters, the desert-island-crash, and the interesting connections. They could have even kept this beautiful death-limbo-scenario, and it would have worked.
So, yes, I feel cheated. I guess if you're tuning in to a show that is set up to be this fascinating series of mysteries, then yes, you're going to feel cheated if none of those are paid off. If you're tuning in for a show about fascinating characters stranded on a deserted island, last night's finale would have been absolutely phenomenal and satisfying. I'm sure that's why the writers continued to stress that Lost was more than anything about the characters. If that were true, they wouldn't have had to throw in all of that extraneous supernatural mystery and easter egg stuff.
In my humble opinion, as an ardent Lost fan and former Lost apologist, they would have done better to either leave all that other stuff out, or attempt to actually explain it. Some might say not doing so is an example of lazy writing.
Now that I got that off my chest, I'm going to go watch the finale for a second time, desperately looking for any reason to prove that I'm entirely wrong about all of this. Namaste.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
All I Want for Christmas is an Ebook Reader
With details and photos leaked of Barnes and Nobles' upcoming ebook reader and rumors of Apple's greatly anticipated tablet still aflame, I'm getting really excited about the possibility of an affordable but feature-packed ebook reader. I'm not holding my breath that Apple's tablet, which many say will be formiddable in the e-reader market, will be the inexpensive model that I'm hoping for, but I do think it will increase competition and result in lower priced models from competitors.
Now that the dominant e-book reader on the market, Amazon's Kindle is now as low as $249, I'm starting to think more seriously about purchasing an ebook reader. The Kindle has many of the features that I am looking for: wireless connectivity, wide selection (although DRM'ed), and ability to read magazines and blogs. The downside to the Kindle is that it is still a bit pricey for me - I'd like to pay $199 at the most - and that it is limited to only books purchased through Amazon.com.
The Sony ebook reader is definitely closer to my price range, and has a more open selection since it allows you to read ebooks published in the widely used, open e-pub format, but there's no wireless connectivity.
This new reader coming from Barnes and Noble, is rumored to be comparable to the Kindle in quality with a wireless connection, and (here's the kicker) running Google's open-source Android operating system, hopefully with the ability to run Android apps as well. If the price of this reader is kept to $200 or below, that will seal the deal for me. Since it's set to debut sometime in the next month, maybe, just maybe, my dream e-book reader will be under my Christmas tree this year.
Now that the dominant e-book reader on the market, Amazon's Kindle is now as low as $249, I'm starting to think more seriously about purchasing an ebook reader. The Kindle has many of the features that I am looking for: wireless connectivity, wide selection (although DRM'ed), and ability to read magazines and blogs. The downside to the Kindle is that it is still a bit pricey for me - I'd like to pay $199 at the most - and that it is limited to only books purchased through Amazon.com.
The Sony ebook reader is definitely closer to my price range, and has a more open selection since it allows you to read ebooks published in the widely used, open e-pub format, but there's no wireless connectivity.
This new reader coming from Barnes and Noble, is rumored to be comparable to the Kindle in quality with a wireless connection, and (here's the kicker) running Google's open-source Android operating system, hopefully with the ability to run Android apps as well. If the price of this reader is kept to $200 or below, that will seal the deal for me. Since it's set to debut sometime in the next month, maybe, just maybe, my dream e-book reader will be under my Christmas tree this year.
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