Update
1) Last weekend we had a powerful windstorm sweep through the north country, leaving about 245,000 people without electricity, including yours truly. During my morning run on Friday the wind was gentle but picking up, temperature mild at 57. At work we all went to a pub for lunch, and the lights went out while we were cheering the US women hockey team. That was the end of our work day, and we cheered some more, ate and drank and made merry, and then slowly trickled out of the increasingly cold establishment. I went back to my house. At 3:45pm, living room is at a stable 57. Took a nap, woke up at 9pm. Temperature: 51. Outside temperature: 12. Walked around in complete darkness, for alas I do not own a flashlight. Used my cellphone to pee. Then decided I had to get white gas for my camping stove.
After driving halfway to Boston I found a 24 hours Wal-Mart, bought a lantern, then hunted for kerosene, and drove home. By 5am there was a bright lantern glowing in my kitchen, BBC static coming out of a pocket radio, antenna wrapped in copious amounts of aluminum paper to increase the reception, and my MSR stove diligently boiling water. I drank lots of tea, filled my water bag with hot water, and slept on the couch, after closing all the bedroom and bathroom doors. Living room temperature at 5am: 47. Outside temperature: 9. Woke up at 10, still no power, living room temperature: 41. Started my stove again, made mac & cheese, and minutes before Bush's weekly presidential speech the lights came back on, at 11:55am. Enjoyed Bush's talk on nu-kee-lerr power.
2) Tomorrow I drive to Montreal, to see Belle & Sebastian and The New Pornographers! Am extremely excited. Show starts at 8pm, so I might have to sleep in my van before driving home.
3) Had one of the most exciting afternoons here so far: on Wednesday I had my coworkers wish me luck, and then walked to a sports bar to watch Chelsea vs Barcelona, on a big screen. The place was empty (it was 2:30pm). I suffered as we started losing, 1-0. Decided maybe soccer was a nonsensical activity, and was ready to walk back and give up on this thing. Then we tied, 1-1, and I was proud to be from Catalunya. I started talking to the screen, standing, with one hand on head and the other waving around. I yelled at my team, giving them directions, cursing the englishmen. When the 1-2 came I was ecstatic, pounding my fist on the fake wood table, three times, and yelled "GOOOOOOOOL!" twice.
Walked back to work with a huge smile, and programmed for the rest of the evening with a rather high heart rate. That night I slept with my Barcelona scarf under pillow. This is true.
4) I'm running a marathon, June 11. It should be fun.
I'm addicted to running. When I'm out there my joints and muscles give up long before I want them to, so I keep pushing. Every morning I feel like running forever, which is of course not possible, since I have to shower eat breakfast drive to work and code.
5) That's it for now. I have lots more to say, but will save it for later.
