Training Log Archive: barb

Watched "Raise the Red Lanterns" with David & his friend Aiury. Aiury wanted to watch it; at school he'd studied the role of women in China before and after the revolution, so he was familiar with it and had seen some scenes and said it was a great movie. Boy, they really teach 7th graders a lot of stuff these days that I don't remember hearing about when I was that age. A highlight for me was watching the part where her maid discovers she's not pregnant because of blood on her pants, and Aiury explaining very matter of factly to David what is going on.

Brrrr.

Starting to look into the Scottish 6-day 2009. The original idea was to rent a huge place 1-8 August 2009 near Perth, and convince some other orienteers to join us. I've found a few very nice large houses/mansions sleeping between 15 and 23 people. Then we'd go to Edinburgh for a week at the theater festival.

Issues to resolve include that Dave is starting to think about going to China in July 2009 with his family to see the eclipse (7/22). So I either have to convince him to take extra time off that summer or we'll have to choose between Scotland and China. Also, there is a fine-looking Swiss 5-day the same week as the Scottish 6-day. And I think the Colorado events are generally that first week of August. So getting people to come to Scotland in the face of those other events might be a little harder than otherwise. Maybe we can tempt them with the promise of amazing accommodations, delicious edibles, and companiable company. And then of course there is the question of whether I can negotiate with the ex to have the kids at the right time.

C • Resident Chef 9

Watched "Good Will Hunting." Fun to see Cambridge, the fake MIT corridors, and the star graduates of the high school my kids will go to. David's friend's mom put makeup on Matt Damon for a high school play. I like Damon's character's anti-NSA rant during the job interview. I showed it to the kids. Isabel couldn't get past all the swearing. Also showed them the scene where Robin Williams talks about the Red Sox world series game 6 that he missed to hang out with his future wife.

Work commute via DD, in gently falling snow. We've had a decent winter, complete with a snow day, and another day when the kids were trapped on the schoolbus for hours getting home when a thick snowfall slowed traffic.

On the way to Central Square this morning I rode past my ex-ex-wife-in-law and said hi. She did not answer. Still a heart thumping experience 17 years after all the drama.

Today I sent in the rental fee for our Paris apartment during spring break. Last week I was bummed out that I messed up the chance to stay on a houseboat on the Seine (miscommunication about when I needed to send in the money) - but our new place, while pricier, will be lovely. Nicer neighborhood, books, art, a gas stove, 3 bedrooms...

OK, so where are there O maps in Paris? I see Fontainebleau...
Maps near Paris - can figure out where they are by looking at the map (Balise 77).

C • Fountainebleau 4

Yikes for Orlyn, Carl & Linda!

ack

To school in the morning to meet Isabel when she got off the bus & take her to the orthodontist. Then work. Home at some point.

On the Arizona trip I started reading Suite Francaise, a novel about the Nazi occupation of France. Actually, it's two books; one set during the exodus from Paris as the German army approaches, and the other, well, I haven't gotten far into it yet, but during the German occupation. Beautiful writing. And an amazing story of how the book came to be published: the author died at Auschwitz, and her daughter (who was 13 when she was separated from her mom) managed to hold onto the manuscript as she was moved between safe houses during the war, and finally was able to bring herself to read it, as an adult.

At the airport, I asked the Rosetta Stone language learning system salesperson whether they had Estonian. No.

Pulled a couple dozen really tiny cactus barbs out of my leg last night, with some fine Swiss army tweezers.

C • You're stealing our cactus ... 8

C • Estonian 3

C • Catcus 8

C • Suite Francais 3

Got home late last night. It's cold here. Went to DD for coffee & muffin this morning.

I miss Tucson. I miss the excellent fish tacos at Pico di Gallo.



Weight has dropped, perhaps due to dehydration. But I suppose it could be the week of exercise.

When we see him, John always has some new healthy lifestyle thing going on; this time he told me about "green soup" which has been the center of his diet the last few months. You take a bunch of raw vegetables and mix them in the blender. He says it's delicious and without trying he lost 10 pounds. I don't think the kids are going to go for it though.

C • dirtbags 4

C • Green Soup 2

So far I only have photos from my (new) phone, so the quality is noticeably sucky. Nonetheless, the subjects are stellar. Cristina is wearing a shirt from New Zealand that she saw on some young orienteer while she was there, and sweet-talked it right off his back, all sweaty and everything. (She's washed it since.)

I was bummed to miss the AP bingo. At first I thought maybe I was just unpopular - 6 people got Dave's signature but only 1 person asked for mine, and they'd already bingoed so I figured it was just out of pity. But then I realized that I was out orienteering pretty much from the first start to the last finish, so that explains why I didn't get to play...

Besides, Dave is easy for people to point out to each other. Although I will say there was still at least one instance of people confusing Dave Yee for John Lee at this meet.

While we were in Tucson, the kids were in Erie PA with their dad & stepmom. Isabel took this photo of their cat Shakespeare, who has been struggling with cancer and its treatments for about a year. The kids are thinking this was the last time they'll see him. Until he got sick, he was all black.

C • AP Bingo 2

green @ kentucky camp

blue

F45 was a tight race: 15 minutes difference between the slowest and fastest of 7 women over 2 days. I was impressed by Deb Humiston, who seems particularly speedy these days.

I was glad to meet Margaret from San Francisco, who was also doing blue. Nice to have company.

Uncle Carl with the NYTimes crossword puzzle:



Melissa:



One of the Tucson Jeffs. I tend to get their names mixed up, but I think this is Brodsky. In the background is Mark Parsons' party BBQ pit.



Cristina's friend um what's his name - Joe? He lives a couple blocks away from us in Cambridge, but we met in Tucson.

C • Awesome 3

C • company 3

Green2 - Splits

Blue2 - Splits