Now if you'll excuse me, they're putting me in something called Hero Squad.

Well everybody, I ran today. Now that a few more things have settled down in my life, I finally can get to working out again. Why did I have to wait till things calmed down? Well, I have a disease; It's called "if there are too many things to do on my to-do list then I usually end up not doing anything" disease. Well I have a job and I am pretty settled there now, I am over the new job jitters. I have sent in every possible application to medical school, and have interviews starting this week (snap!). And I have had some quality time with my brothers lately.

Anyways back to my main point, I ran today. I want to declare it because I feel like if I do, I will maintain my running consistency. Although I did not start it today, I would also like to combine my running activity with muscle building activity. Anyways, now back to my main point: running. I created the ultimate playlist, it goes something like this:

1. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

Then make sure your iPod on "Repeat". Done, there you have it. The ultimate running playlist. Trust me, as it gets near the end of the song and you feel like you have nothing left, the boss will screech out these words:

The highways jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive

Everybody's out on the the run tonight, but there's no place to hide

Together Wendy we'll live with the sadness

I'll love you with all the madness in my soul

Someday girl I don't know when we're gonna get to that place

Where we really want to go and we'll walk in the sun

But till tramps like us, baby we were born to run

You can download this ultimate running playlist... HERE. Yes, I know, I too have this pulsating desire to wear ripped up jeans, a flannel shirt, and a bandana. This feeling is natural, it is called "America". I know this sounds like an earlier post, but I feel like I am hitting a brick wall with the boss, in that no one else shares my enthusiasm. Stephen thinks his voice is annoying. Lisha just flat out dislikes him. And Mike thinks it's just funny. Well feast your eyes, here is the boss in his mid-1970s glory!

And yes, he is my facial and normal hair inspiration.

The Candy Man Can!

First of I must say kudos to Stephen for blogging the past couple of weeks. I haven't posted in a while. Ithink it was mostly because I was too tired. Those 9hr work days took a lot out of me. But I'm finally starting to get the hang of them. I have so much stuff to update on. So here goes.

The job has been good so far. The only downside has been all the computer time I've been logging. I really wish I would have paid more attention in my computational physics classes as well as my mathematical physics class. Stupid fourier transforms! Oh well. I just have to relearn the stuff. The one major bummer, and it's only going to get worse this summer, is it has been so nice out the past couple of days and I've been stuck inside. It's been pretty crummy weather since I've been here but we finally got some beautiful days. I'm just hoping it'll be nice this weekend.

The past weekend my friend Whitney came out and visited. This is after 5 years of promising to come out and visit. It was such a fun weekend. We hit up pike place, the SAM, and the EMP. We went to Dicks three times, and it was delicious every single time. We also spent more time at Bellevue Square than I have in my entire life. One of the highlights of the weekend was going out to her family friend's house on Vashon island. It was so gorgeous! They have a house right on the sound with an amazing view 0f Mt Rainier. It made me want to invent something so I could get rich and retire already to an island with my sailboat. 

Another highlight from this weekend was a trip to the wonderful store Easy Street Records. I was a kid in a candy shop. No foolin. I could have walked out of there spending over $500. They have so many amazing albums that I will definitely be going back. I did walk away with four amazing albums though. The prize of the lot being Radiohead's OK computer. It sounds so amazing on vinyl. I also picked up John Mayall's Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam's Ten, and finally Belle and Sebastian's The Boy With The Arab Strap. There were some others that almost made it out of the store with me but had to wait for another day. 

Attacked from the front and the back, you movin' so fast piercing at my anorak

I was in Vegas for President's day weekend and I didn't enjoy the strip much. The best parts of the trip were spent at Red Rock Canyon hiking and rock climbing. I didn't so much enjoy the strip because I felt like I was in an enormous shopping mall. Everything was fake (Paris, New York, plastic roman statues) and everyone is out to get your money! Mo money mo problems. Maybe it's the Jew in me, but I don't like people trying to get at my money. Expensive clothes, cars, private dancers (I'm your private dancer, dancer for money..! I couldn't get that song out of my head every time I saw the prostitute hawkers), jewelry... everywhere I looked it seemed like someone wanted me to buy something! I prefer looking at a pretty mountain or jumping into a cold lake to walking the Vegas strip, but I even have trouble eating at Red Robin where when you go to the urinals the front page of a newspaper is in front of you and a tv is playing in the background. Just give me this moment to wee in peace!

Dive to survive

My springboard diving class is amazing, the best gym class I've taken. There are many reasons I love this class so much, one being the back flop guy. Whatever this guy attempts (back dive, front dive, reverse, inward, flip..), he ends up flying through the air with his back to the water, his feet out, and his head close to the diving board with a funny look of "Oh well, maybe next time" on his face. Then he gets out of the pool, gets some advice, and jumps off only to repeat what he did before. This guy is fantastic! He is a prime example of never giving up. No matter how red his back becomes, I have never seen him hesitate or show any sign of despair. Back flop guy, I salute you!

To experience just how rad diving class is and why I love it so much, check out these diving bloopers.

Good ol' charlie brown

Oh Charlie Brown, what immense wisdom you have to share with the world. Take for example the expression "good grief". Good.... grief... why is this grief good? One must speculate.. These comics are such gems because not only are they often subtly hilarious, they teach deep, rich life lessons. It is often I find myself reading a Peanuts comic strip and then whispering to myslef, "ah, thank you Peanuts for your wise lessons." It speaks not only to the Charlie Brown in each of us but the Lucy, the Linus, the Schroeder, the Pigpen....

Rainy Days & Mondays Always Get Me Down

For the past few days I have been bewildered as to why I had this sudden desire to listen to the Carpenters. There is no doubt about it... they are a guilty, guilty, guilty pleasure. I have nightmares of somebody walking in as I passionately sing "Don't you remember you told me you loved me baby? Said you gone and back this way again baby. Baby, baby, baby, oh baby. I love you. I really do."

However, just today, in fact just mere minutes ago I discovered why. It is well known that Karen Carpenter and I have a special connection. My mom's name is Caren and, hello, look at our last names... Carpenter? Wood? Woah, if it's not scary yet, it's about to get crazier. Today is the 25th Anniversary of Karen Carpenter's death. So thank you Carpenters for arranging and writing some amazing tunes, and filling my family kitchen with music.