Antsy

I am waiting. Waiting for a job, waiting to move, waiting to settle in a new place, waiting to start a new phase of my life, waiting for my real life to begin. Luckily there has been some movement on that front, and by the end of August I hope to be moved, settled, and employed.

In other news, Happy 4th!

It's Been Awhile

I apologize for the time that has passed since I last posted, though I do believe my readership has significantly dropped off. No worries; I do this more for myself than anyone, though I do appreciate the loyal readers who have continued to follow me.

In the last month, I have:

- received my Master's degree (!!)
- moved into a new place for the summer
- begun to look for a job in earnest (though I was before too)
- made new friends
- seen old friends move away for good :(
- opened a Netflix account, which is my new consuming hobby
- had far too much fun drinking/going to pubs

Additionally, my family is officially moving from New York. That will be interesting. I never developed an affinity for the place we've lived for over a decade, but it will be weird to have no ties to my parent's new home. Forever after, I will always be a guest; there will be no memories tied to their house, no marks I've made in the past to call it mine in any way. I also won't have a clue as to how to get around the town. I'm happy for them, however, and excited that they're opening a new chapter in their life. I hope to do so with mine as well, and soon!

I've also been rather introspective of late, as tends to happen when a big change occurs in your life. I know that I won't be going back to school for several years, if ever, and starting my career is both exciting and terrifying. Some recent experiences have also pushed me over the edge in desiring to settle somewhere; I've been on the move for a year, and have felt like I was in transition for over 2. I want a place to call my own, and to grow some roots. Not that I don't have roots here in Pittsburgh, but they are inexorably tied to Carnegie Mellon and the people there. My life has now gone beyond the university, and while I love it and always will, it's time for me to expand my network and make new connections. It's tough when I don't plan on being in Pittsburgh past the summer though: everything is transient, every one I meet I wonder "will I ever see this person again?". I'm frustrated that this is where I've placed myself, but I suppose it's better than being at home, with nothing to do.

I hope to do more writing here during the summer, and finish my Australia series before I forget it all. Cheers!

Oh Joe!

I work part time for a small nonprofit in East Liberty. Most of the time I work from home, but occasionally I have to go out to their office. At those times, I also go and grab my groceries from Trader Joe's. I just went today.

Every time I shop there, I am impressed by the store. It doesn't have as wide a selection of products as traditional supermarkets, but that makes it much easier for me to manage my purchases. I don't buy those foods that I know I shouldn't (like sweets and junk food), and even if I want to splurge, their snacks are made from healthier ingredients. Buying the Trader Joe's brand is also about the same price as Market District - and tastier - and they have a large selection of organic produce and other foods. And their prices are much more reasonable than Whole Foods.

What sets this grocery apart from the rest is their service. The cashier's are so friendly and talkative, and all the workers are very helpful. They make sure that you've found all the items you needed for the day, and chat about the weather, etc. I always feel happy after I leave.

My Love Affair

Like most love affairs, this one started slow and halting. In the beginning, I actually hated you: you made me tired and sore, and were more of a drag than a source of joy. But I stuck with you, hoping that we'd get past this bad stuff and on to the good stuff soon. I was right!

I'm still tired and sore, but that is a welcome rather than dreaded effect. I've increased my confidence, and I miss you when I can't see you every day. Oh my treadmill, I love you so!

About a month ago, I decided that I needed to get off my butt and start working out again. I was very regular with yoga in Adelaide, and campus was a 3k walk each way. I didn't realize how much of a workout that was until I came back to Pittsburgh and an apartment just minutes away from everything I needed to access. So, after a month or two of nothing (I tried Bikram, but it's just too much of a hassle to get to the Strip and back consistently), it was back to the gym!

I've also had this dream of training for a marathon. Running has never been my strong point and I've never liked it. It's also caused me many physical problems (twisted, ankle, sprained knee and other ligaments) which have prevented me from developing a rhythm. This spring, however, running seemed to click. It's still hard, and I'm not very strong yet, but I've been increasing my speed and endurance gradually. In the near future I plan on running in a 5k - I figured I'd start out small. Marathons are tough!

Due to the winter, I've been running inside on a treadmill (it's also easier to maintain a consistent speed too), but with the weather perking up and my strength increasing, I've taken to running outside in my neighborhood. Let's hope, with baby steps, that I can keep this up!!

------

In other news, Pittsburgh and Oakland particularly have been filled with police from all over the country! They all came for the memorial services of the three police officers that were killed last weekend in Stanton Heights. Both Forbes and Fifth Avenue were impassable; cops came from as far as California and Ontario. My room has been filled with the noise of police sirens blaring down the street all day. It's a moving sight (and sound).

Moved

I loved this witty and altogether sweet short film.

SIGNS

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

My friend sent me this, and I found it hilarious (and very accurate at times). However, he revised the interpretations of the lines for men, and I like them much better. So here is the edited version:

Top 10 Rejection Lines Given by Women (and what they actually mean..)

10. I think of you as a brother. (You remind me of that inbred banjo-playing geek in “Deliverance”)
9. There’s a slight difference in our ages. (You are one Jurassic geezer)
8. I’m not attracted to you in ‘that’ way (You are the ugliest dork I’ve ever laid eyes upon)
7. My life is too complicated right now. (I don’t want you spending the whole night or else you
may hear phone calls from all the other guys I’m seeing)
6. I’ve got a boyfriend (who’s really my male cat and a half gallon of Ben & Jerry’s)
5. I don’t date men where I work (Hey bud, I wouldn’t even date you if you were in the same solar system, much less the same building)
4. It’s not you, it’s me (It’s not me, it’s you)
3. I’m concentrating on my career (Even something as boring and unfulfilling as my job is better than dating you.)
2. I’m celibate. (I’ve sworn off *only* the men like you.)

…..and the #1 rejection line given by women (and what it actually means)

1. Let’s be friends. (I want you to stay around so I can tell you in excruciating detail about all the other men I meet and have sex with.

Top 10 Rejection Lines Given by Men (and what they actually mean...)

10. I think of you as a sister (I've thought about doing you, but I just can't picture it in my head. As I tell you this right now, I'm thinking about doing you...it still ain't workin' out)
9. There’s a slight difference in our ages. (I can't picture you as a MILF)
8. I’m not attracted to you in ‘that’ way. (You’re ugly)
7. My life is too complicated right now. (You talk too much)
6. I’ve got a girlfriend (You’re ugly) - I dunno why a guy would ever say this if the girl was hot
5. I don't date women where I work (You're ugly)
4. It’s not you, it’s me (My girlfriend is on to us)
3. I’m concentrating on my career (You talk way too damn much)
2. I'm celibate (No man would ever use this)

…..and the #1 rejection line given by men (and what it actually means)

1. Let’s be friends (After many attempts at thinking about doing you, in a variety of different positions, and scenarios, I have failed on behalf of my gender and must now place you into the un-doable category) - also see "I think of you as a sister"

Scuba Training - Days One and Two

A long-overdue continuation of the travel tales...

Scuba Training – Day One

Monday dawned bright and already warm. We woke up individually, and all scattered to find some breakfast before we walked the short distance to the Cairns Dive Centre (CDC), where we’d be doing our training. After meeting our trainer, a swarthy red-headed South African named Renaldo, we filled out paperwork and waited for everyone else to trickle in. The group numbered about 15, mostly Brits with a smattering of Germans, a Norwegian, an Aussie, a Dutch girl with whom we made great friends with, and a few more people. The morning was spent in theory, the afternoon in the pool, where we got into gear and had our first play underwater. I wasn’t sure if my ears would hold up; I was getting pain when I tried to dive past a few meters. Luckily, I learned to equalize quickly, and the problem subsided.

Scuba itself is a great experience. The gear is relatively simple to use, and while heavy when you first put it on, obviously loses its weight on your shoulders when you enter the water. The pool was tiny and cramped with 15 people in large metal gear and fins trying to swim around in it.

After a long day in the pool and classroom, we were able to get back to our hostel, take a kip, and then head out for dinner. A local pub had a nice deal for hostel-goers that provided a free meal with purchase of a drink. The food was plain but good and plentiful, and the vibe was just right. It made it a great and inexpensive way to eat dinner in Cairns while we were staying there.

Scuba Training – Day Two

Tuesday started even early than Monday, with more classroom and pool training. We learned new skills, and ended the day with a written exam (I passed) and diving physical to make sure we were healthy enough to endure the rigors of a dive. We ate at the same pub as the previous time, meeting with Berdien, the Dutch girl who was also doing the training course. We went to bed early again, as the next morning we were heading out to the Reef!

H.Res. 110

This is kind of amazing. While it's fairly common for Congress to pass hundreds, if not thousands, of resolutions in each session, this one is particularly wonderful. I do love the "Steeler Nation".

Full text below (read it, it's a hoot!):

111th CONGRESS 1st Session

H. RES. 110

Congratulating the National Football League champion Pittsburgh Steelers for winning Super Bowl XLIII and becoming the most successful franchise in NFL history with their record 6th Super Bowl title.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 3, 2009

Mr. DOYLE (for himself, Mr. ROONEY, and Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

---

RESOLUTION

Congratulating the National Football League champion Pittsburgh Steelers for winning Super Bowl XLIII and becoming the most successful franchise in NFL history with their record 6th Super Bowl title.

Whereas the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII by defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27 to 23 in Tampa, Florida, on February 1, 2009, winning their second Super Bowl championship in 4 years;

Whereas with this victory the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise has set a new National Football League standard for most Super Bowl victories with their record 6th Super Bowl championship;

Whereas the Pittsburgh Steelers went 15-4 against the hardest-ranked 2008-2009 schedule in the NFL and defeated the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, and Arizona Cardinals during their record-setting post season run;

Whereas linebacker James Harrison returned a goal line interception 100 yards for the longest play in Super Bowl history;

Whereas quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went 21-30 for 256 yards and led the team down the field for the 19th and most important 4th quarter comeback of his career;

Whereas wide receiver Santonio Holmes won the Super Bowl MVP award with a 9-catch, 131-yard performance, including the game-winning touchdown in the corner of the endzone with 35 seconds left in the game;

Whereas the Pittsburgh Steelers new `Steel Curtain' defense, including stars James Harrison, Ryan Clark, Troy Polamalu, James Farrior, Ike Taylor, Larry Foote, Casey Hampton, LaMarr Woodley, Brett Keisel, Deshea Townsend, and Aaron Smith were ranked first in the NFL in overall team defense for the 2008-2009 season;

Whereas the Pittsburgh Steelers defense during the 2008-2009 season allowed the least points scored, lowest average passing yards per game, and the least overall yards per game in the entire NFL;

Whereas head coach Mike Tomlin is the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl championship and has continued in the legendary tradition of head coaches Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher by bringing a Super Bowl championship to Pittsburgh;

Whereas linebacker James Harrison was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the 2008-2009 season;

Whereas team owner Dan Rooney and team President Art Rooney II, the son and grandson, respectively, of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney, have remarkable loyalty to Steelers fans and the City of Pittsburgh, and have assembled an exceptional team of players, coaches, and staff that made achieving a championship possible;

Whereas the Pittsburgh Steelers fan base, known as `Steeler Nation', was ranked in August 2008 by ESPN.com as the best in the NFL, citing their current streak of 299 consecutive sold out games going back to the 1972 season; and

Whereas, for 76 years, the people of the City of Pittsburgh have seen themselves in the grit, tenacity, and success of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise, and they proudly join the team in celebrating their NFL record 6th Super Bowl championship: Now therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives congratulates the National Football League Champion Pittsburgh Steelers for winning Super Bowl XLIII and setting a new championship standard for the entire NFL.

(http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.RES.110:)

Lessons

This semester, well, year really, has been one of the most commitment- and responsibility-free of my life. Having graduated out of every extracurricular organization that defined my undergraduate existence (and for a time moving across the world), I now have more free time than I know what to do with. This semester I'm enrolled in class three days a week; four days out of seven I literally have NOTHING scheduled in my calendar. In a nutshell, I'm bored as all get-out.

This was not necessarily a problem last semester; I was living in Adelaide and surrounded by people; finding company and activities was pretty easy. All I had to do was walk into our common room. It also helped that I engrossed myself in my surroundings whole-heartedly; new experiences can do that, and I didn't have much time to fully enjoy them. Still, I certainly felt the lack of busy-ness.

Multiply that tenfold now. I'm back in a city I know very well, albeit one that I still love, and it's the dead of winter. Potential for activity abound, but it's hard to rustle up the people to accompany me. Actually, I take that back; my levels of social activity would be more than adequate to satisfy me if I had more work to do. Spending most of my day inert does not motivate me well. In fact, I think having more free time negatively affects my work ethic and the quality of what I do produce. Monotony leads to lethargy and ennui, and ultimately procrastination. It also doesn't make me the greatest companion when I do get out, I think, because I'll seize that person with all the force of a reluctant recluse.

Luckily, however, my sorry and workless state might be at an end. I have an opportunity to once again become a productive member of society at a local not-for-profit adoption agency. If I do, I'll have much less free time, but I think will be happier as a result. Is it unusual for a person to look forward to working more and relaxing less?

I think this past year has taught me a valuable lesson. I ended my senior year worked to the bone, exhausted, and dispirited. I was rejuvenated by exposing myself to a society that enforces a better work-life balance and giving myself more personal freedom. In doing so, I realized that while life can't be all work and no play, it also can't be all play and no work (at least for me). Keeping those thoughts in mind for my future career, I hope to strike a good balance that leaves me happy, healthy, and satisfied both at work and beyond.

The Answer

For those who read my last post, the answer is not, as you might have thought, George Washington.

Samuel Huntington, of Connecticut, was the first President under the Articles of Confederation (and Perpetual Union). He shared many commonalities with Washington; born into a modest family, raised with little formal education, and was a life-long patriot. However, Washington never signed the Declaration of Independence, as Huntington did.

After his time in the presidency, he became Lieutenant Governor and then Governor of Connecticut, until his death in 1796.

Cool, huh?

The First President

The First President in United States history: think you know who he was? Let's see.

He was born in a rural colony of Britain in the early 1730s. His formal education was limited; he was mostly self-taught. His family owned and operated a farm.

His wife's name was Martha. They had no children of their own.

He was elected as a delegate to Congress. He signed the Declaration of Independence. While not known for an extensive education or brilliant speech, he was highly respected and esteemed by his fellow patriots for hard work and a steady character.

He did not own slaves, and was outspoken against slavery his entire life. After his death, he had a city named after him.

Who was he? I'll post the answer tomorrow, but guesses are welcome.

Work without Hope

All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair—
The bees are stirring—birds are on the wing—
And Winter slumbering in the open air,
Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring!
And I the while, the sole unbusy thing,
Nor honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing.

Yet well I ken the banks where amaranths blow,
Have traced the fount whence streams of nectar flow.
Bloom, O ye amaranths! bloom for whom ye may,
For me ye bloom not! Glide, rich streams, away!
With lips unbrightened, wreathless brow, I stroll:
And would you learn the spells that drowse my soul?
Work without Hope draws nectar in a sieve,
And Hope without an object cannot live.

- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Oz Travel Journal - Adelaide to Cairns

This begins my travel journal for the 2+ weeks I journeyed through bits of Australia. My exploits will be documented here in the next few weeks.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My last days in Adelaide were filled with fun and friends. They gave me a great send-off (even though I was coming back for a few days in December before my final departure). We took a tour of the Adelaide pub scene; at least, our favorites. The next day I went to Glenelg Beach for the last time with some friends. Even though it was cold, they still tried to throw me in.

From Last Look at Adelaide

From Last Look at Adelaide

Our flight to Cairns was early on Sunday morning; I had been planning this trip for several months with some of my American friends, and we all boarded the same flight. It was long, but direct, and I was able to sleep most of the way, not getting much the previous night due to last-day goodbyes. It seemingly instantly went from chilly at around 15C to hot and humid at 35C when we got off the plane at our destination.

From Diving the Great Barrier Reef

After collecting our bags, we hitched a ride with a van that our hostel provided; it was a joint operation between several of the hostels in the area, so we made multiple pickups. The driver was insane; he seemed to take it as his personal mission to drive as fast and recklessly as possible around the streets of Cairns, to scare travelers or something. We arrived at our hostel, Jimmy’s on the Esplanade, in one piece and took a look at our surroundings. Conveniently located on a major thoroughfare, and not 10 meters from a pool, a park and the ocean, the hostel was perfect. We had also managed to a get a room just for the four of us, so it was very nearly like a hotel. Ditching our bags in the room, we quickly got into our bathing suits and headed for the beach.

Cairns itself, we soon realized, doesn’t have a lounging beach, but a deserted and muddy expanse of dirt that borders the ocean. Instead, people swim in the pool directly beside it and set up their towels on soft grass, a very pleasant alternative. The afternoon was spent thus, swimming and sunbathing in the warm and strong summer sun. Australia gets much more powerful rays than I have ever experienced in the States, so it is imperative that you wear sunscreen or else you’ll get burned fast.

After showering and getting presentable, my friends and I decided to scope out the Cairns scene. It’s a very small, touristy town, and reminded me excessively of Myrtle Beach or a small coastal Florida town. Souvenir shops everywhere, cheap places to eat, hotels and hostels in abundance, and people in Bermuda shorts with accents give it all away. We wandered around for a while, and unfortunately, no place was open for food (many eateries in Australia close for the slower afternoon hours). Instead, we decided to park ourselves at a local bar and ordered several pitchers of beer until dinner time came. We ate at the same pub, and then took ourselves to a very large and wild hostel with a poolside bar to swim and enjoy the DJ.

That evening, exhausted by the day, I spent sleeping in our air-conditioned room. It was rather depressing for me that every hostel I stayed in during those few weeks of travel provided better beds than what I’d been sleeping on for the last several months in Adelaide, but it made me appreciate the comfort all the more. The next day we had to wake up early for our first day of scuba training.

Resolved

New Year's resolutions can be pretty, let's just say overly idealistic, and forgotten a few weeks after they're made. I'll make a few anyway so I can return to the list in the future, and see if they've stuck:

- never feel like a day has been wasted
- cook more for/with friends
- strive for optimism and good humour, and impart those feelings to others
- stay in contact with friends, however far away they may be
- apply myself in my work with rigor, force, and determination (i.e. don't shirk)

and a final, practical, one:

- be neater!