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All my scuba gear got here (except the BC, which the dive shop really needs to get around to ordering), and it is all awesome. Once the BC comes in and it's assembled, I'll be taking a shallow test dive locally to make sure everything works before Belize. The water is freezing right now, so I doubt I'll make too big a production out of it.
Thanksgiving was great, and I have many tasty leftovers. I also have little quiche pans now for making quiches and pot pies. I'm going to have to start making crustless quiches since they're a lot healthier. Quiche for breakfast every day would be awesome, and would help use some of the 40 eggs I currently have in my fridge (48 eggs for $5! How could I resist?)
My shotgun should be getting to the FFL dealer here in San Diego soon. I ended up with a Mossberg 590A1 since I like the layout and action of the Mossberg more than the other shotguns I handled. Once it gets to him, I'm sure there will be the usual DROS and 10 day waiting period nonsense.
The final class project is over, now I just need to take the final exam on 12/15 and I will be done with Systems Engineering Theory & Practice. Next semester I've signed up for Economic Considerations for Systems Engineering... hopefully it will be more technical. I've discovered I like classes with math in them a lot more than classes without math in them. The closest we got to anything technical this semester was calculating system reliability and MTBF from component-level MTBFs.
Work is kind of stressful at the moment. Looking forward to a break. I have a long weekend this week (well, assuming that I don't end up working), and I definitely need to clean up my disaster of an apartment. |
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Life
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Nov. 17th, 2009 @ 10:24 pm
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The iPod adapter is installed in my car, and I like it. I ended up having a shop install the exhaust since the former owner elected to bend the hangers over and weld them to the pipe... which is actually trivial compared to his many other sins (he cut out ALL the resonators and replaced them with straight pipe, his welds are ugly, his exhaust tip replacement is crap, his boost gauge was shoddily removed...) I didn't really want to wedge myself under my car while it was on stands and use an angle grinder or Sawzall.
Watching the shop guy in action made me want a garage of my own... and a lift! Auto labor is apparently pretty affordable if you know what you are asking for, are interested/willing to hang out and watch the person, and have cash. It seems that in San Diego most people who have an abundance of tools and buy parts themselves are active military -- that was the first question out of the shop guy's mouth when I opened my trunk and he saw four jack stands, a bunch of associated tools and a pile of catback exhaust. It makes sense logically, since Navy folks around here are often both short on cash and long on free time when in port.
The half marathon on Sunday went... okay. I finished, which was my primary objective. I pulled something in my left leg around mile marker 9, and jog/walked the rest of the way (pace went up by about 4 minutes, doh.) Still, it was a good experience overall. I'm still a bit stiff.
I have already ordered most (70% by cost) of my reward - a full set of dive gear. The local dive shop is checking on availability and delivery time for my BC. I took care of sizing there, so I naturally ordered it there - if they were a certified Sherwood dealer, I would have ordered the rest there, but they aren't. However, they seem pretty cheerful about assembling everything for me once the BC comes in. I'll probably spend several days chortling over everything before I manage to determine how I want it configured. :)
I'm flying out to Norfolk for work on Thursday, and will be there through Monday. Good times. I hate Norfolk in November. While I am there, I will probably buy a shotgun. Still torn between a Remington 870 and a Mossberg 500. I will probably rent both and evaluate. Rumor has it the 870 is more expensive and feels more solid, the 500 is cheaper but has more slop. Reliability is anecdotally a tossup. My decision will be based primarily on ease in firing with either hand since I am left-handed and right-eyed and haven't decided what to do about that with respect to long arms yet.
And my IPT lead is officially moving to another program (he is replacing a reservist, who is going to Iraq.) I am splitting his job with a coworker for the next month. We are both also covering our existing workload. In the new year, there will be a formal requisition opened, and people who apply will be interviewed.Mood:  suffering through a lecture |
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I've been busy and therefore neglecting LJ, so a quick update...
I bought a car this weekend; a black 2008 Mazdaspeed3. It goes fast! I am thinking about replacing the loud aftermarket exhaust with something a bit more subtle. And I am definitely installing an iPod interface; there is one which will show the ID3 tags on the stereo display and let you use the steering wheel controls. I am kind of annoyed that it is apparently next to impossible to buy a hardcopy of the factory service manual.
This week I ran about 19.5 miles. The long run was 7.25 miles, which I completed about half an hour ago. This puts me back on track on the running plan, since I've made every run this week. Hooray! And about time too, since the plan starts ramping up one mile each week on the long weekend run.
I have a midterm tomorrow. The systems engineering class is significantly less annoying once we started being sensible and having one person take responsibility for drafting an assignment, then reviewing it in the telecon (we're all distance students) rather than trying to actually write it in the telecon.Mood:  accomplished |
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I've been totally bad about posting exercise, and also pretty bad about actually doing the exercise. I am on track for maximum distance, currently running max of 6 miles at once (but it hurts.) But I have not been running 4x a week as planned. It's a mix of travel and not prioritizing it highly enough. But at least I'm on track to make 13 miles by mid-November, even if my time sucks.
I've still got a couple weeks of slack in the schedule to make it up (meaning improve my time) if I work at it. And I'm actually in town this weekend! Err, but not next weekend. So far as I know, I am not traveling at all in October, so I should be able to stick to my plan.Mood:  hopeful |
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In my car, that is; my house is still cooled by the convenient method of leaving the windows open (and leaving a fan in the doorway, on occasion.) We replaced the filter/dryer, pumped the system down to vacuum, and charged it back up. I drove it around a bit tonight, and it is cold. Hopefully it won't leak... Tomorrow after driving it around a bit more, I will take a look with the UV light.
After fixing the car, Adam and I headed over to The Linkery for some well-earned tastiness. Stone Ruination and Rock Bottom's Old Curmudgeon on cask, Pastured organic Berkshire pork porterhouse (the best pork I have ever had), and a nice grilled wild bluefin tuna with wheatberries.
( some pictures: )Mood:  satisfied |
| » Bribing myself |
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So, I really want scuba gear. I want to buy it before Christmas, when we are diving in Belize. (Actually, I want to buy it now; I've got it all picked out and I've practically named each piece by this point.) But, scuba gear costs quite a bit of money, particularly since I have fairly specific desires as to what I want and don't see the point in buying something if I am going to resent it for not being the model I wanted. So, I am using the carrot of scuba gear to bribe myself to be good.
I'm signed up for the Silver Strand Half Marathon on November 15. In order to be "allowed" to buy scuba gear, I have to train for it, and run in it. I don't need to make a particular time, I just need to do the damn thing.
This isn't exactly a "hard" goal, except I really, REALLY hate running. I would rather hike 15 miles with a pack than run 5. Actually, I'd probably rather hike 15 miles with a pack than run 3. So, even though I was supposed to run the America's Finest Half Marathon in August, I haven't been training enough for it to be successful. I have a pretty decent half marathon training plan for novices that I just haven't been sticking to.
I have a secondary goal of being able to do a hundred consecutive good form pushups by the time of the half marathon, but I don't think I'll make that a hard go/no-go criteria for the gear. I am about 70% convinced I should make keeping to the hundred pushups training program a requirement, though.
I'll be posting weekly roundups of my exercise again, since I've gotten fat and lazy.
Edited to add: I will also be updating my planned and accomplished exercise in my Google Calendar.
Jul. 30th, 2009 @ 11:55 am
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| » Mt Whitney |
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Hiking Mt Whitney this weekend was fun, but unfortunately we didn't summit. Brandon twisted an ankle on Saturday. We overnighted at Trail Camp (at about 12 Kft), but in the morning the ankle wasn't any better. We didn't want to add an extra 10 miles of scrambling in snow to it, so we headed down.
I saw several chipmunks, plenty of birds, lots of little fluffy tailed mice creatures, and my first marmot. Marmots are pretty big.
Pictures are below the cut; they're crossposted to Facebook, so you can skip over the cut if you've already seen them there.
( Pictures of the Mt Whitney trip )
Jun. 17th, 2009 @ 08:27 am
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| » Long time no post |
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After seeing ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.7) ratseal's slightly forlorn post, I realized I haven't posted to LJ in ages. I've mostly been using Facebook for short status messages and pictures, and LJ has mostly reverted to saving recipes so I don't forget them.
Let me post. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. (FB has damaged my ability to write longer posts, and I haven't been doing much lately worth posting about.)
Current status summary:- I went on a hike last weekend summitting Mt. San Gorgonio again; pics are here. (yay)
- I've been very busy at work (boo)
- But I'm getting an award on Monday (yay)
- I'm sick this weekend so I skipped out on hiking (boo)
- But I'm summitting Mt. Whitney next weekend (yay!)
- And I'm also hanging out in Seattle in a couple weeks, and then going to hang out with my sister on her carrier for a week (yay!)
So mostly yay.
Jun. 6th, 2009 @ 05:40 pm
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| » Red Chicken Curry |
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Ingredients:
1.5 lbs chicken breast
1 red bell pepper
~1/2 lb crimini mushrooms
~1/4 lb snow peas
2-3 serrano peppers, diced (not seeded)
~2 Tbsp red curry paste (A Taste of Thai)
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
salt
pepper
madras curry powder
paprika
cumin
coriander
~1 Tbsp sesame oil
~2 Tbsp vegetable oil (canola or other)
Instructions:
Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks. Rub with salt, pepper and madras curry powder.
Heat both oils in large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and sear.
Reduce to medium, add all vegetables. Saute until red pepper begins to soften, approximately 5 minutes.
Add coconut milk, curry paste, and spices (paprika, cumin, coriander, salt) to taste. Simmer until thickened and aromatic.
Jun. 1st, 2009 @ 11:20 pm
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| » Score!! |
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950/1000 on my final. I was convinced I'd bombed the first question (worth 30% of the final, final is worth 40% of the class, could have tanked my grade for the semester.)
HA!
May. 11th, 2009 @ 04:36 pm
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