Roon
All true. Especially the toenail one.
And like one of the comments said, it’s good to know that “some days the legs don’t show up” is a universal thing and occurs seemingly independently of how much you’ve trained.
Final
Dude, this is a super interesting little retrospective of the first three Final Destination movies.
That highway scene at the start of the second movie is amazing and terrifying. I saw it on TV once without knowing what Final Destination was and I was like NOPE NEVER GETTING INTO A CAR AGAIN.
MMMBOP
Um, what?
Hanson released an Mmmbop 2.0?
You can really hear their harmonizing in the chorus in this one, much more than in the original.
I like it.
BOOSHATHON
If I get tenure next year, I think I’m going to get myself a Coloware item as a celebration present.
AirPods Pro, maybe.
It’d be hard to pick the colors, haha. I might have to get some of their sample colors to see what they really look like in person.
HYPE
This article’s got me HYPED UP, DAWG.
Oh my GOD I want to be able to run an ultramarathon. That would be such an accomplishment, especially for someone like me who is not “naturally” a runner.
WOOOOOOOOOO
Non-Blurred Lines (not a reference to the horrible song, I promise)
So I’ve noticed that I have these really weird lines on the backs of my hands. I know everyone has lines on their hands, obviously (which is why whenever I try to search Google for this I get no useful results because they’re all like “PALM READ THE BACK OF YOUR HAND LOL” or “HOW TO GET RID OF WRINKLES ON HANDS LOL”), but these are weird.
They are very straight, distinct, clear lines that do not follow the general patterns of the lines on the backs of my hands. There are like four or five of them at a time (they’re not consistent) and they look very out of place compared to the “natural” lines.
And while they’re really easy to see in person, they’re hard to capture on camera. So here’s a video of two of them:
Edit: and here are two pictures that actually ended up turning out okay:
Does anyone else have these?
Badding Break
It’s summer, so for whatever reason, that means I’m back into watching my aviation documentaries.
It’s a tradition, yo.
Anyway, today I watched a video about the 1986 mid-air collision of Aeromexico Flight 498 and a small aircraft over California, and I was immediately reminded of the similarities between its story and the mid-air collision depicted in (*looks it up*) season 2 of Breaking Bad. The one where the air traffic controller is distressed over the loss of his daughter and makes an error, causing two planes to collide and the debris to fall on Walter White’s town.
Like…watch the documentary. If you remember the scenario in Breaking Bad, they are freakishly similar. The actual air traffic controller’s name was Walter White.
Believe it or not, though, it sounds like the creator of Breaking Bad didn’t know about this incident. I don’t know if I completely buy it. I notice in my own life that there are a lot of things I think of or create seemingly out of the blue and then later, upon reflection, realize how many little bits and pieces are actually derivatives of things I’ve seen in the past.
So maybe that’s it. It’s almost too big of a coincidence to NOT be that.
SPATIAL ROTATION!
This is super fun!
The most I’ve gotten is 12, and it would have been more but the second to last one was really hard and took me a long time, haha.
New goal!
SO.
Running.
It’s basically my personality now, so of course I’ve already looked up if I can register for next year’s Calgary Marathon.
When I was reading about the ultra marathon earlier this year, I saw that the ultra marathon distance (50k) was being retired this year (I mentioned this a few days ago). That sucked, since I was going to make it my goal for next year.
HOWEVER.
Next year will be the 60th anniversary of the Calgary Marathon, and they’ve added a special 60k ultra marathon for next year only.
So THAT is going to be my goal.
60 kilometers is approximately 37 miles, which is quite a big step up from 26.2 miles. But if I approach it the same way I approached training for the marathon this year (26.2 miles is about 10 miles more than my typical run distance, so I just needed to add 10 miles to my usual run), maybe I can psych myself up for it.
It’s all much more mental than physical, anyway.
LET’S DO IT!
I Love the Clouds Here
Look at this cloud exploding over the horizon of the U of C. How freaking cool is that?
‘Murica
Hahaha, oh my god.
I haven’t heard that song in a while. I remember a bunch of my friends and I stayed overnight in a hotel room right before (after?) high school graduation and we watched Team America.
So 2006.
Calgary Marathon!
I finally did my first official marathon!
It was the virtual version, sure, but I did it on the same day as the in-person marathon and ran next to the marathoners during a part of it, so it counts, right?
My mom also walked the (virtual) Calgary Half Marathon, so we’re both too cool for school.
Pics!
(I was really slow because it was hot, haha)
The medals have the Calgary Central Library on them, which is one of the prettiest buildings ever.
Woo!
Edit: stupid freaking COVID, this looks so fun:
Book Review: War and Peace (Tolstoy)
Have I read this before: Technically, yes. I read it in either 7th or 8th grade because the kid I liked was reading it and I wanted to be like him. Or with him. Or better than him. It was complicated. Anyway, I finished it and he didn’t but I’ll be damned if I remembered anything other than one of the characters being named Pierre. Note that I discuss my history with this book in this blog post, so you may want to read that first. You know, if you actually care.
Anyway.
Review: Where do I even start with this? Do I start with how there are about 80 characters but they’re all written so distinctly and thoroughly that you truly get a sense of their different personalities and backgrounds? Do I start with the fact that I knew approximately NOTHING about the Napoleonic Wars going into this thing but now all I want to do is read about that period in history in even more detail than it’s described in War and Peace? Do I start with the way Tolstoy portrays how the war effects everyone – especially the young people – is simultaneously so subtle and so blatant that you get both the “during” and “after” perspectives of this chunk of history? Can I talk about how great this particular translation is, because it certainly doesn’t even sound like a translation and sounds like you would suspect Tolstoy wrote it to sound?
WHERE DO I START
I loved this book, friends. Absolutely loved it. It’s been quite a while since a book was that engaging for me (probably not since Lonesome Dove, and before that it had been even longer). I know it’s a massive tome, but if you haven’t read it yet, READ IT.
READ.
IT.
It will capture your soul.
Hell, I don’t even know if I want to read another book for a while. What could compare to this, honestly?
Favorite Part: Again, where do I start? I just checked my Kindle and I have a ton of pages bookmarked for quotes, incidents, and descriptions that I especially liked.
Some are funny, like Bilibin’s discussion of the generals:
“Except for your man Kutuzov, every single column is commanded by a non-Russian. Look at the commanders: Herr General Wimpfen, le comte de Langeron, le prince de Liechtenstein, le prince de Hohenlohe, and then there’s Prshprshprsh-all-consonants-and-no-vowels – like all Polish names.”
Or Pierre thinking he’s destined to destroy Napoleon single-handedly because he did some stuff with numbers and found out their names were the same numerically.
“If you use this system to write out the words l’empereur Napoleon numerically, the sum of the letter-numbers comes to 666 (allowing 5 for the e omitted from le), which makes Napoleon the beast prophesied in the Apocalypse.”
…
Once he applied the system to his own name in its French version, ‘Comte Pierre Besouhof”, but the total was miles out. He changed the spelling, substituting z for s, added de and the article le, but he still couldn’t get what he wanted. Then it occurred to him that if the answer he was looking for was to be found in his name, surely his nationality ought to be mentioned as well. He tried Le russe Besuhof and this came to 671, only five too much and 5 was the value of e, the letter dropped from the definite article in l’empereur Napoleon. Dropping the e again (quite unjustifiably) Pierre got the answer he was after in the phrase l’russe Besuhof – exactly 666! This discovery shook him.”
That’s hilarious.
Many of them are the beginnings of long stretches of philosophical discussion about war (way too long to type here). Especially near the end, Tolstoy interjects every several chapters or so with a chapter dedicated to some sort of philosophical examination of some aspect of war, the character of man, history’s interpretation of events, etc.
There are also parts that I wouldn’t have gotten as much out of if I wasn’t learning French:
“He kissed her hand and called her vous and Sonya. But their eyes when they met were on tu terms and they shared a tender kiss.”
Also, a completely unintentional hilarity was included since the translator (or Tolstoy himself, I’m actually not quite sure) included a “Summary of Chapters” section in which every single chapter gets a one- or two-sentence summary. Some of the summaries are hilarious just because they make no sense unless you know how the chapter is structured (is it part of the plot or is it a “Tolstoy Philosophy Power Hour” section? Or both?). Best example: “Alexander renounces power. Why do bees exist? For no single reason.”
Rating: 9/10. This is in my Top Five.
I feel like CRAP so here ya go
Another low-effort blog by Claudia. Quality not guaranteed.
1. How has your life most benefited from the Internet? Whether it’s meeting people, cutting business overhead, finding rare collectibles, or simply sharing funny cat pictures, share how the web has made life easier.
There’s less direct (face-to-face) interaction with people. I’m all about that.
2. How do you deal with negative comments on your blog?
I don’t think I’ve ever had a negative comment on my blog. It’s not popular enough, haha.
3. There’s never enough time, is there? What would you do with an extra three hours today?
Today? Just dink around. Maybe work on my story. On a typical non off-day, though? Walk or run.
4. The getaway car is waiting outside – where is it taking you?
NYC!
5. Who was your “arch enemy” in high school? Do you have any enemies today?
I didn’t really have an arch enemy in high school. I had groups that I didn’t get along with, but we mostly stayed away from each other. I had enemies in elementary school, though…
I don’t think I have any enemies currently.
6. You’re giving the keynote address to the graduating seniors of a high school today. What’s your advice to them?
Don’t have kids. Seriously. These seniors are going to have a miserable go at it due to all the damage we’ve already done to the planet. Can you imagine what their kids would have to go through? Adopt instead.
7. Thinking of words of wisdom: What’s the worst advice you’ve ever received?
I can’t think of any recent bad advice, but I remember when I was a kid/teen that any time I’d get upset around my dad, he’d just say “don’t cry.” Like…as if that was some advice he was giving me. Gee thanks, dad, I feel better now! Haha.
8. Tell us about the best summer vacation you EVER had.
I don’t know if I have a single one that stands out as the best, but I used to attend Linda’s Art Camp when I was a kid/early teen. We’d do all sorts of art (clay, acrylic, watercolor, sculpture, batik, plaster, oil painting, etc.) from noon until 5 every day for two weeks. It was absolutely glorious and was something I ALWAYS looked forward to. Hell, I’d go now if she still offered it. I wouldn’t care that I’d be the oldest one there by like two decades.
9. What do you have to have with you when you travel? Why?
Apart from the practical things, I always want at least one of my backups with me. That is, one of my external hard drives or flash drives. Just in case.
10. Would you accept $1,000,000 tax free, if it meant you had to leave the country and never come back?
Could I take my family with me?
11. Do you believe the world will be a better, or worse, place 100 years from now?
It’s going to be so much worse. Or maybe better if humans are gone by then. But I bet they’ll still be hanging on.
12. Do you expect to buy a new winter coat this year?
Nope! Did that last year.
13. If you could spend one year in perfect happiness but afterward would remember nothing of the experience, would you do so?
Nope.
Safari
So was this anyone else’s elementary school “treat” that the teacher let you play with if you were good?
We had a yellow GeoSafari in elementary school and we all LOVED it, haha.
Earl
This is a great song.
That “Is that all right? GOOD! Let’s go for a drive, Earrrl!” is sung so satisfyingly.
I also like how Zombie Earl is dancing with everyone at the end, haha.
Mom!
My mom is here, WOO! She’s staying at an Airbnb for a month and then I’m headed back to Moscow with her for a few weeks. We’ve been looking forward to this since…well, since we did it last year, hahaha.
WELL HELL
Despite not actually running the Calgary Marathon yet this year (though I’ve done three marathon distances so far), I’m making next year’s goal an ultra marathon.
The Calgary Marathon has a 50k ultra (and it sounds like 50k is a pretty typical length for an ultra), so I went to go look it up this afternoon to see what the route was if I were to do it in person.
And of course, with my luck, this year is the LAST YEAR they’re doing that distance.
Balls.
HOWEVER.
I googled “virtual ultra marathons” and discovered this site, so now I think I’m going to use it to sign up for practically every virtual marathon I can find.
Because I’m that kind of loser.
ZOOMAZOOMAZOOMZ!
I
AM
HYPER
BYEEEEEEEEE
Claudia vs. Forest Fire Smoke
Forest fire smoke doesn’t seem to bother me.
Smoke in general doesn’t seem to bother me.
We’ve had some pretty intense smoke up here so far this summer and I don’t feel like it gets to me at all.
My eyes don’t burn, my breathing doesn’t feel more labored, my throat doesn’t hurt, I don’t cough/sneeze more, I don’t get headaches or migraines.
I don’t know if it’s all psychological because I can’t smell it, but I never feel like it bothers me. Of course, I know the negative effects of the smoke will be there regardless of if I “feel” the smoke or not, but it just never bothers me.
So yeah.
My Half-Awake Brain is Really Weird Sometimes
So last night I sacked out in my chair, got woken up by Nate when he went to bed, and then just crashed in the chair again. When I woke up around like 5:30, I was just coming out of a dream and I felt like it was such a SUPER IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING DREAM that I got my phone out and typed a summary of the dream into the “Notes” app so I could recall it later.
Here’s said summary:
So yeah. Super important and interesting, huh?
Also, does anyone else ever have like a soundtrack in their dreams? My dreams frequently involve montages and there’s always some sort of music playing as they’re happening. Then there’s like a reprise of that music later.
Odd news.
I am DISGUSTING. This is DISGUSTING.
Remember those early 2000s (?) commercials for that toenail fungus medicine where the little animated fungus lifted up a toenail and crawled underneath?
Edit: LAMISIL! Yeah, this son of a bitch:
Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you…my toenail can basically pull this same move now. OBSERVE!
THIS IS WHAT DISTANCE DOES TO YOU
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