Saturday Update

Inspired by Matt Dinniman's decision to impose structure on his blog, I'm going to attempt to follow suit with weekly roundups. Odds and ends, basically, daily life.

Ithaca's been overcast and dreary, not what you'd want for a holiday weekend. The sun's supposed to come out eventually, but so far it's not exactly vacation weather. Not that I'm vacationing--work is slamming me right now, and I'm spending the next few days trying to get out from under it. If you've sent me email and are wondering why I haven't gotten back to you yet, this is why. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish up soon, get back to corresponding, and maybe even enjoy the weekend.

I'm currently missing Wiscon. That's supposed to be one of the best SF conventions around, and I've been meaning to make time for it. Justine Larbalestier calls it "smart camp for grownups," and apparently it's also quite the romantic getaway. Who knew?

And now, a flashback to the '80s...

My track coach: "You're fast, but your form is bad."
14 yr. old me: "What do you mean, bad?"
My track coach: "Bad."
14 yr. old me: "Bad, how?"
My track coach: "You run like a duck."
14 yr. old me: "Whatever. I hate track."

Turns out my coach was right; I've got a mild varus foot deformity that's been causing me to run a little differently from a normal person. I don't get the support I need from a regular stride, so I've been compensating. So says my podiatrist. Four to six weeks and orthotics come, which will hopefully prevent the oh-my-god-what-is-that-twinge-in-my-achilles-heels-yargh!-I-think-they're-about-to-pop sensation I've been having the morning after every long jog or run. Stretching should help, too.

About the jogging ("or yogging, it might be a soft j"), the recent purchase of a heart rate monitor watch has been dynamite for my workouts. Before I used to wonder if I was going too fast or too slow, but now I can just check my pulse and see if I'm in the ideal fat-burning zone. Turns out I'd been going too quick more often than not, burning myself out. Very freeing to take the pace down a peg and go for longer. Even with a messed-up stride, I've been racking up the miles.

Speaking of things that don't run right: the car is leaking coolant and may need a new water pump. Bit of a pain. This is one of those times I look back at my teens and wish I'd put some time into learning how to restore cars, instead of, say, all the time I put into nunchuckery.

Finally, a question for all you good people. I've been noticing certain bells and whistles on the sidebars of other blogs: feeds, stats, search engines, books and albums the blogger's enjoying, random quotes, etc. I can see a reason for all, but before I dust off my HTML book, let's prioritize. Which of these sorts of things do you find the most useful and fun?

Comments

[Gail]

Nick: leaking coolant could also be caused by a rusted radiator, bad hose, or (less frequently), a bad drain plug, but usually it is the water pump.

Blog sidebars: you don't need to know HTML, really. At the control panel, you choose the type of Typelist you want and it basically does the rest, unless you're linking to movies (use the "link" option); then you do have to add a URL for an image if you so choose. As for what's most useful, I think that's just individual opinion. Myself, I like to know what people are reading, watching, and listening to. :)

[Jim Shannon]

I like the weather Pixie on my sidebar, it gives me local weather direct from the City Center airport and not the International Airport just outside of the City. My Blog though lacks a "recent posts" links list.

e.Jim

[Gail]

Idlewild update: chapter 6 now, just past the halfway point. :) I really like the inclusion of informative little references, and the witty dialogue (inner and outer)! I love when Simone showed up as 'Hypatia.'

Sounds like the students have really done it now; hmmmm. :)

[Elizabeth]

Wow, you seem to have been rather active lately. Good luck with the feet. If those sensations are anything like the occasional cramps I get in my feet, I feel for you.
Hm...I'm up for anything, but I do like reading random quotes. And I'm always interested in what people around me are reading.

[Nick Sagan]

Hey, a fellow Hypatia fan! She's been a favorite of mine for years and years. Great life, tragic ending.

[Gail]

Yes. She was absolutely BRILLIANT. I have two books about her. I do wish someone would make a movie on her life, even though the ending would be sad, horrifying, and enraging to the more pagan-minded, but it was an important turn of events in world history.

[naked]

. He used to lend her head again, said,