Oh dear.
Monthly Archive: January 2009
Waiting is the hard part
So, earlier this morning, according to the Canada Post website my package was in my end of the city and had the status: “Item out for delivery.” Nice! My waiting would soon come to an end. Throughout the work day I was hitting refresh on the tracker hoping for an update saying that the package was delivered home or that a notice was left at the door. Either would have been sufficient. Thing is, no updates happened at all. By 5 p.m. I was a little bit pissed. You’d think that “Item out for delivery” would mean that it was en route. So where the heck is it?
I’m sure it’ll arrive tomorrow, though if it doesn’t I’m going to raise a little hell with Canada Post and Best Buy. As much I know the item(s) in question are in demand right now, I expect things to be secure. That’s why there’s a damn tracking number, right? I can play all these “what if” scenarios in my head but in the end that won’t get me anywhere.
Patience, patience.
Running log: 2009/01/21
Well, unlike yesterday I actually made it to the running club today. We were scheduled to do 8 repetitions down and up the 400 m hill. The hill is about 2.5 km away from the store. As I went there I could feel my legs seizing up. Actually seizing up is such a strong word, but, things felt leaden and I felt forced to go slower. Seems to be an ongoing theme doesn’t it? Hmm. Well, the roads weren’t entirely clear. The way down was covered with snow, but it was all very packed down so it was pretty solid, although uneven. The way up was a little clearer, but with every car going down the hill I had to step over into the snowy parts, making each step difficult.
I kept a steady pace through all repetitions without taking any breaks at the top. Sure, I was happy that I did the whole thing, but, I was also quite frustrated with the fact that I know I’m capable of doing much better. Hill training is usually a strong point for me. I usually put in a strong showing. Today, I felt like I had the motor running, but the parking brake was engaged. Does that metaphor make sense?
After the eighth time up the hill, we went straight back to the store. That was an odd experience. I was fatigued–and why wouldn’t I be? However, I felt like I had enough energy to make it back without any issues. Thing is, I couldn’t get any speed. I could not understand what was wrong with me at all.
Well, after the run I hung out with a friend and had sushi. Nice. Back at home, as I walked up the stairs I noticed that my legs were still heavy. I had to climb the stairs slowly because it felt like my muscles were being constricted. I meditated on the idea of “constriction” for maybe a moment or two, then came up with a hypothesis as to why I have the energy but my legs won’t give me the output I need. See, with all of this cold weather I’ve been layering up to keep warm. On my lower half I’ve been wearing running tights under track pants. Those things certainly do keep me in place, but perhaps it’s too much? Last time I ran hills I wasn’t wearing my tights, and that run was so much better. I have an 18K run this Sunday. Depending on the weather, I will leave the tights at home to test the theory out. As much as running slow is good for me (it builds endurance) it’s also humbling–and frankly I’ve had enough of that. We’ll see how it goes.
Subway mechanical difficulties
Yeah, not too happy with the TTC right now. I understand that from time to time there will be mechanical difficulties with subway trains. All the same, that fact doesn’t invalidate the frustration I have at the moment.
So, I left work a little past 5 to be able to make it to my Running Room Clinic by 7. The streetcar came and took me to the Bloor-Danforth subway line. No issues thus far. As I walked on the eastbound platform, I noticed that a lot of people were looking at the info screen. I looked up and read a notice saying that shuttle buses were currently being run between 3 or 4 subway stations right in the core of the system. As I looked to the end of the platform I saw a train waiting in the tunnel, but it wasn’t moving. In a split decision I ran over to the Yonge-University-Spadina line to try looping around. After hiking the distance I came to the realization that the route would have been horribly inefficient. So, I headed back to the other line to see if I could find more information. As I got back to the platform I saw the previously idle train start coming in. Nice.
If that was the only problem, then I would have been fine. However, that’s not where it ended. About midway to my destination, the train stopped at Pape station. It was taking longer than usual there but no one thought much of it thinking that maybe the delay was just due to a driver exchange or something. Another 5 minutes later there was an announcement that the train was having some mechanical issues and that crew was already dispatched and would arrive shortly. Fine. I could deal with that. So could the majority of people waiting on the packed train. After more minutes of waiting, an announcement was made at the platform level that shuttle buses were being run from a couple of stations west and east of where I was at. It figures that I’d be right in the middle. From the train itself I didn’t hear the announcement clearly. I had to take out my earbuds and strain hard to get the message being pumped elsewhere.
Now, when I think of shuttle buses I always think of the horror stories I often see on the news whenever there’s an issue with the subways. The shuttle buses are inevitably full with many irate people waiting out the cold trying to jockey for position. And usually, by the time you get on one the trains are usually working again making the whole process pointless. I’m quite sure that most people on the train felt the same way about shuttle buses because just about everyone that was sitting down remained seated. We were all willing to wait out the problem. Thing is, half an hour after arriving at the station with only one or two announcements keeping us informed, there was an announcement telling us that the train was now out of service and that we all had to get off. There was another train right behind, but it already had its own load of people, so we all had to cram in there.
In the end, I got back to my car about an hour later than when I wanted. It was late enough to make the commute up to the Running Room pointless. So, I missed my scheduled 6K run today. Yeah, I’m not happy about that. I guess, all I can say is that these things happen from time to time. I can’t hold it against the commission (as much as I want to) because it’s not like the driver wanted to delay us for that long period. Perhaps a little more information could have been disseminated to us, you know? Well, tomorrow is another day, and I’m sure the commute will be uneventful. That’s really how it should be, right?
Dreaming of exam panic
This past weekend I found myself in a bit of panic. This was all due to what seems to be a recurring dream for me. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it feels raw each and every time, making me feel quite uneasy. Upon waking I have to take a moment or two to regain my bearings and assess reality from make-believe. Yeah, it’s that bad.
Well, what’s the dream? It involves university and being on the brink of graduation. Usually, in the forefront of my mind there’s something nagging, telling me that I’ve missed the exam for some subject. It varies from dream to dream: French, Psychology 101, Sociology, English, etc. See, in the dream I apparently went to one or two classes of the subject but then decided that I didn’t need to go. I then totally ignored the class to the point where I forgot the scheduled exam. In some variations I’m in a panic over whether I’m actually still enrolled in the class. Sometimes I haven’t been to that class for so long that I was suddenly un-enrolled. Whatever the case, the result is that I suddenly don’t have enough credits to graduate–leaving me in a panic over how I’m going to make it up.
When I wake up from these dreams, my mind is often in overdrive trying to figure out when the exam for the course was supposed to be. Sometimes I have to second-guess what day of the week it is just in case I was dreaming that I missed it. Of course, THERE IS NO EXAM. After a few moments of figuring things out, I always realize that I have my freaking diploma, and that I’ve been out of school for a few years now.
Wow, so what the hell is with this dream? I think the obvious interpretation is a general fear of failure. Maybe these dreams come to me whenever I’m going through a particularly stressful time at work. During these periods there’s a definite need to perform. I guess I’m carrying that stress home with me. Why is it manifesting itself in the form of dreams of missing exams/skipping class? My academic career has had ups and downs. I’ve never gotten to the point though where I’d miss something outright from classes through exams. See, tuition cost too much to allow me to forget, know what I mean?
You know, for once, I’d like to have one of these academic dreams where I’m actually victorious. I can joke about not being the ideal university student. Why? I’m not. Period. However, I worked hard when it mattered. In the end I got the job done. What more is there? Why can’t my subconscious celebrate that achievement for once?
*grumble*
Snowfall lamentations
According to the talking heads, so far this season we’ve had above average amounts of snowfall. With last night’s snowfall we’ve now had more than a metre of accumulation: 115 cm. By comparison, around this time last year we only had around ¾ of a metre. Maybe I can be forgiven then for thinking that winter’s already on its way out, seeing as how we’ve had a good chunk of white stuff already. Ha! As if.
It’s because of last night’s dumping of 15 cm that I decided to not make the trek to the Running Room for today’s run club. Luckily today was a bit of a drop back from 16K to 12K, still, I missed being out there with the group. The roads, however, weren’t plowed and the way was just plain dangerous. I didn’t want to risk getting into a collision just out of bull-headedness. I have to admit though, it was rather nice to have a relaxing Sunday morning. I haven’t had one of those in ages. I got to eat a good breakfast with the family, and recline in bed listening to Sunday morning oldies on CHFI while reading a book.
Eventually I did have to drive out there with the family. I was having a tough time getting traction without snow tires. Making turns was difficult because the car tended to slide even if I was going really slow. I was in a parking lot where some of the pathways were banked. I could feel the car sliding sideways in those areas. Craziness.
Honestly, I know that this weather is a fact of life living here. I’ve said that I don’t mind, but seriously I’m starting to get a little fatigued from the constant snow. It’s tolerable within reason, but man…we’re not even one freaking month into the season and we’re more than halfway to last year’s snow levels–and last year had one of the snowiest winters Toronto has had in decades (194 cm). Fuck fuck fuck. I’m going crazy!
Mysteries of the rice cooker
Growing up in an Asian household, I would say that rice cookers were always a part of the whole eating experience. For the longest time, my mind would always connect rice cookers with the presence of rice: without a rice cooker, how would we cook rice? To my surprise though, not everyone was aware of the beauties of the rice cooker. Some of my friends would ask “Why do you need one? Why not just use the stove/microwave?” Pfft. The beauty of the rice cooker is that apart from adding the correct amount of water, there’s no human intervention necessary. No stirring, no watching–it was all taken care of, and in the end if you added the right amount of water you’d have perfectly cooked rice. It was so easy and convenient that I could be forgiven for thinking that they were so common place in Canada. Who knew that so many didn’t know what it was?
Anyway, how does the rice cooker get the rice to be just right? I guess the better question is: how does it know when to turn off? I wasn’t sure either until it was explained to me in an episode of Daily Planet back when Natasha Stillwell was still hosting with stalwart Jay Ingram. It was on their “You Asked For It” segment. Turns out the mechanics behind it are pretty much based on stuff you learnt in high school science.
Anyway, the rice cooker basically has a heating element and a thermostat trigger. So, in the pot you add your rice and water. When you press the button the heating element applies heat to the pot. Easy enough, right? Well, the water in the pot eventually heats up to the point where it starts boiling. At this point, even though the heat is still being applied the rising temperature of the water is basically halted. How? Why? Well, it’s a matter of state changes.
Do you remember what happens when water changes state between ice and liquid or liquid and steam? When you apply heat or cool it down the temperature changes within its solid, liquid or gas state. Once you get to that borderline though between water states, and heat you apply or heat given off doesn’t cause the temperature to move. Instead, all of the heat is used in the process of phase transition.
Wha…?
So, when moving from ice to water, when you hit 0 and apply heat, the ice won’t get any hotter until it’s water. When moving from water to steam, the water won’t get hotter than 100 until it’s steam. OK, so how does this apply to the rice cooker? Well, the water just boils the rice. The thermostat will read that the temperature is 100. Eventually the water will boil away and the rice will be cooked. When the water has boiled away, the heat being applied will cause the temperature of the pot contents to rise. The thermostat will sense this rise in temperature and switch the heating element off. The result? Perfectly cooked rice.
Good to know, eh? Turns out you can also use the rice cooker to cook other things. An old roommate used to use his rice cooker to make soup. Unfortunately, it’s not the kind of thing that you can leave out on the counter–not during the summer. Blech. There are videos on YouTube that show that you can even make bread in a rice cooker.
Yeah, gotta try that sometime.
Science lesson: over.
Five hundred kilometres
The odometer on my new car went past 500 kilometres earlier today. I figured that now would be a good point to kind of give a review of the vehicle. If you recall I have a 2009 Corolla in the S trim. As far as looks go, this 10th-gen redesign is pretty cool. I mean, with the grill, skirt and spoiler it looks really nice. I picked up the picture on the left from Google Images. Anyway, my old Sunfire had a spoiler and looked pretty sporty in its own way, so I was looking for something that looked similar. When I finally decided on a Corolla I went for the S model because the look was what I wanted and the cost didn’t break the bank.
As far as how it drives, it feels wider than my old car. It’s pretty stable on the road when it’s clear. In more slippery winter conditions, it kind of feels a little bit loose when I try to get it to get traction while moving. I don’t know. It’s different from my old car, so I’m still trying to get accustomed to it all. I wonder how much of that is due to the tires. For my daily commuting, it’s good enough. It gets me where I need to go with a smooth ride. Pulling out of a stop light, it’s not as strong as my old car. Then again, you can’t really compare a 1.8L engine to a 2.4, right? As far as Corollas go, they’re not really known for being powerful. The few times I’ve pushed it, that extra second or two it takes for me to get up to speed is kind of noticeable. Once it does get up to speed though, it’s solid. Saying all of this though, acceleration really isn’t all that bad. In terms of fuel economy, it’s really good. With my old car I usually had to fill up every 8-10 days. On my first tank I took this car to just under 2 weeks. I could have gone longer, but I thought it was about time. I know that with the listed fuel economy I should probably be able to make it last longer, but given my driving style I expected I knew that it wouldn’t match the ideal conditions.
The interior is really nice. The seats are really comfortable. I could swear that the seats are a bit larger that what I’m used to. For a guy like me with a big frame, there’s no need for me to squirm. I’m almost confident that on a long ride I’ll get along just fine. My parents have told me that they sense that there’s more room in the back and in the passenger seat. The steering wheel feels chunky and solid. The gear shifter is nice to hold. Seriously, given how comfortable I feel in there, I can look over the fact that driving it feels more practical than anything else.
God, I really enjoy the fact that this car has an auxiliary in. I love plugging my iPod in and letting it go. The sound is good enough, but I think I need to do some more adjusting to get the sound just right. The trunk seems spacious. I kind of wish I got the cargo net for it though. I’m thinking I should put some grip mats on the floor just so that groceries won’t be rolling around too much in there.
Anyway, overall I’m really happy with this purchase. Even though this is my first time buying a new car, there’s nothing to be ashamed about for having this thing. Given the reputation of the Corolla, I know that this car will serve me for a very long time. I can even see it as a future family car, know what I mean? Would I recommend this car to other people? Sure! It’s practical, smooth, and very drivable. For my needs, this car fits the bill.
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