Something is making the news today

On my way to a business lunch over at Fan Pier (great day for lunch on the water today btw), I passed by this:

A wall of news trucks and all their cameras set up outside the federal courthouse. This is a block away. Right outside the doors was this:

With microphones and cameras on the ready. I had to pass right in front of them. After lunch on my way back to the office, the numbers had doubled. I was really tempted to stop in front of the microphones and take a picture of all the cameras, as if I was the person they were waiting to come out. But I was on a conference call so really couldn't switch to camera mode. But it would have been a great shot!

I think they are waiting for the update/verdict of the college friends of the Boston bomber who helped him dispose of evidence. 

2048

Have you heard of this game?  I didn't until last week. I was on my way home from work Thursday on a packed subway and was sitting next to a lady playing this game on her phone. I was intrigued because of the numbers and finally decided to interrupt her and ask her what the game was. She took out her headphones and answered that it was 2048, a free download and terribly addictive. 

I had no idea!  It's my new favorite game but be forewarned its hard to put down ala flappy bird (which luckily I've only ever played on others phones). 

It's like sudoku in that its a logic game involving numbers but no math. Except for 2048 there is minimal addition. You combine like tiles (ie combine two 4s and it creates an 8). And you just build up the tiles until you get to 2048 before running out of space. Or so I thought!

At first I was really proud of my score of 9,000 after playing a few rounds. And then I developed a technique that switched from random combining to something more systematic that catapulted me to a whole new level. And before I knew it I combined two 1024 tiles and made the infamous 2048 tile. I won! With a score of almost 20,000. 

Except, instead of the game telling me I won it just congratulated me on getting the 2048 tile and asked if I wanted to keep playing. Keep playing?! It wasn't the end, it was only the beginning. It was deceptive advertising. You can't call a game "level 10" and then have it have 15 levels. 

Well, last night, after a late night working, I was on my way home and started playing a game. I wanted to blog about the game but my screenshots of getting to 2048 were on my iPad at home. I figured I'd play a "quick" game on my phone that I could use to take a picture and show my mad skills. As I was sitting, waiting for my bus, which was over a half hour wait - ugh - thank goodness I had the game to distract me from the frustration of being delayed and getting home even later then I wanted to - it happened.

I got to 2048 and kept playing and I was on a mad role. I made it to 4096! I was giddy with delight, sitting there on the bench waiting. I kept playing, and the bus came and we all packed on and I ended up having to stand and I kept playing, but my zen playing had been broken and I soon found the board full and the game over with my new all time high score of 51,152!

Isn't that wicked good?  I'm really impressed but then I checked the leader board to see if my games were being recorded and found a community board and that all the top players have a score of 150,000,000. It's like I'm back at my initial 9,000 level. Still, I'm tickled pink I got to the 4096 tile. Not too shabby. 

Niece/nephew visit

Last weekend Nick and I popped up to Vermont for a visit since Karin and the kids were visiting. I still forget I'm an aunt since Karin became my step-sister later in life when I was an adult. 

It was great seeing them. Marianna is almost one and is full of personality now. Last visit she would just sleep and eat and sleep. We all would take turns holding her (when needed) since she's a heavy one. A good work out!  She's wearing 24 months to give you a sense of how big she is. She loves waving and I don't know what it is with phones and babies but she loved seeing herself. I'll try to post a video which captures this wonderfully. Apparently the tongue is fascinating. 

Mateo is four and has boundless energy. We watched a circus show Saturday (cirque d'soleil style gymnastics - no animals). It was engaging for him at first but hard to sit still for three hours. After we got done he literally did laps around the big quad outside at the college the event was held at. The performance was impressive and I had a hard time when they would drop from the straps or ropes and catch themselves at the last minute just before they hit the ground. 

On Sunday, nick and I spent a chunk of time playing soccer with Mateo. We thought it would wear him out and he just kept going and going until finally he laid down in the driveway exhausted. Only to be up running again five minutes later. I hate to say it, but it was nice to see Nick was more worn out than I was after our weekend visit. Kids are exhausting especially if you're not conditioned like the parents. 

On Monday I met up with them again in Boston before they flew home. We grabbed lunch downtown and checked out the Common, Boston Gardens and the infamous Ducklings statues. 

And of course, a mark of a good visit, on the ride to the airport Mateo states he doesn't want to go on the plane. The route reason is because he didn't want to leave and wanted to hang out more. And even Marianna started to cry as they left when she realized I wasn't joining her. Warms one's heart. 

I'm on my way home now, looking forward to a weekend home and catching up with errands and chores. I signed up for a workshop tomorrow on Time Management. I'm hopeful it's helpful. 

And as I'm reading my book (The Why Axis) on my commute home I'm getting wicked déjà vu. And then it dawns on me that it's not déjà vu it's repetition. I haven't read the book before but some of the studies and findings were on a recent fraakonomics podcast I listened to while I was commuting by bike this week. Interestingly I didn't buy this book - Nick gave it to me as a birthday gift. About 20 minutes after he received it for free in his mail pile from dad. Talk about regifting - it was a promotional mailing. Interesting book but I enjoyed the podcast more. This book is one of those you feel should be an article or two and they stretched it out to be a book. 

The last book I finished I loved and highly recommend. It's called "Born to Run". I think it was a best seller. Very interesting, easy read and full of intriguing tidbits. Like, had the percentage of running injuries gone up or down since the introduction of sneakers in the 70s?  Yup - up. There's no studies that sneakers provide any benefit. This is just a side point in the book but I found fascinating since apparently I never questioned all the marketing over the years. 

Actually the last book I was reading was The New Jim Crow". Also another really good book. But it was making me so mad about our country and our false advertising of a democratic society. The sad thing is when I got frustrated I could just put the book down but for so many people, this is their reality and they are faced with this frustration of injustice daily. I think everyone should read this book. It's really written, not preachy and good research points. 

Of course my reading has gone down with the bike riding but my podcast listening has gone up. I gobbled up a bunch of podcasts when I was driving to and from Albany this week for a project. It was interesting on the ride back yesterday, since my boss joined me (he had flown in for the meeting but we couldn't get direct flights back). Good discussions. And don't ask me why's hotel in New York makes Texas waffles!

Looking forward to my upcoming trip to Phoenix for my cousins graduation and seeing some of the family (on mom's side)!

Spring!

Spring has finally arrived and with the warmer weather and sunny skies, this week marked the first week of me biking part way into work (subway the other part). 

Last month I pulled the trigger and bought a bike basket. And I love it - it makes it so much easier to just throw my bag into the basket and hit the road instead of strapping it to the back of the bike. 

Unfortunately with the advent of biking it looks like my running plans have died. They started dying off a few weeks ago when it was raining most days. Not something I was up for - running in the rain. And now that it's sunny, I'm preferring biking instead of running. Running is still a chore whereas biking is fun and still works up a sweat. 

Of course the downside is what I'm facing now - the dilemma of working late. Work ran late and I'm getting onto the subway as dusk approaches and think it will be dark by the time I get to my bike. Ugh. Riding in the dark is not fun. I need to pack my bike lamp and be realistic that I can't always leave work on time. 

Spring!

Spring has finally arrived and with the warmer weather and sunny skies, this week marked the first week of me biking part way into work (subway the other part). 

Last month I pulled the trigger and bought a bike basket. And I love it - it makes it so much easier to just throw my bag into the basket and hit the road instead of strapping it to the back of the bike. 

Unfortunately with the advent of biking it looks like my running plans have died. They started dying off a few weeks ago when it was raining most days. Not something I was up for - running in the rain. And now that it's sunny, I'm preferring biking instead of running. Running is still a chore whereas biking is fun and still works up a sweat. 

Of course the downside is what I'm facing now - the dilemma of working late. Work ran late and I'm getting onto the subway as dusk approaches and think it will be dark by the time I get to my bike. Ugh. Riding in the dark is not fun. I need to pack my bike lamp and be realistic that I can't always leave work on time. 

Giving Due

I’ve been feeling extra worn down lately and all my usual tricks to recharge the battery haven’t been working.  I am looking forward to an upcoming trip to St John’s Newfoundland which will provide a change in scenery.  I’m going up for a project and am extending my visit a few days after the meeting.

Funny story actually.  Last month, the project team flew up to Canada and were heading to the client’s office after arriving at the airport and picking up a rental car.  They enter the address as they hit the road and the GPS calculates the trip to take 22 hours!  Turns out they flew to St John, New Brunswick!  Wrong province! And ended up having to find new flights to the correct St John’s and lost a day. Needless to say I triple checked my booking for my upcoming trip.

Being worn down, I was still smart enough to step back to assess life.  I’ve been trying to have a more balanced work/life.  I’ve been trying to grow so that the day to day stresses, and politics I deal with in a leadership role doesn’t wear me out.  And I thought I was on a good path, with good habits forming.  I’m still daunted by the day to day for work and have been desperately looking for a good right hand person.  But overall, I’ve dialed back burning the midnight oil - mainly because I just can’t keep up that pace. 

And then it dawned on me.  I don’t always give stuff enough credit.  I realized I’m worn down in part by the worry work provides me with, but also about worry life has given me recently.  And it’s exhausting.  As this new theory started to form, I realize that I downplay, even to myself, the passing of Walter last year.  I didn't even post about it, since it was private - happened last August.  Although “just a pet”, he was a constant companion for over 12 years.  And as those who met him know, he was a lover - a primary source of daily (if not hourly) snuggles and comfort that I took for granted and is now missing.  Winston has been great and has become more affectionate, but it’s not the same, if only that I don’t have two snuggle bunnies.  So that is loss number one that I’m still working through - I guess just time is what is needed on that front.

Then there is loss number two, in that something that has been coming for awhile has arrived - my dad and step-mother are both going to be retired this year and are looking to move to Virginia.  When I moved back to New England, I immediately appreciated the proximity of family and friends that living in other parts of the country didn’t provide.  Distance is undeniably a factor in frequency of visits.  I used to live near mom so could visit a chunk of times each year and now it’s down to twice a year for a good year.  It was nice having at least one parent close by (I gave up trying to talk mom into moving closer years ago) and have appreciated having that connection.  But with the change in location, that will be a big void of not having any family nearby (Nick doesn’t count) to visit on a weekend - “popping up” versus planning a “vacation” and seeing each other a few times a year.  Again, over time, I’m sure I’ll adjust to the new situation and I’m still thankful that I have other “families” that I have adopted (or have adopted me - Brauns).  But for now, I realize I’m mourning the end of this chapter that is coming to a close.

On top of that, over the course of the last several months, I’ve had a few family/friends deal with heavy life situations on the health front.  Major stuff like heart surgery and cancer. And there’s nothing you can do but worry - worry for them and their family and their situation and try to be supportive.  Nothing like a big smack in the face from mortality. 

In my head, I keep thinking, I’m healthy, I’m happy, I have a good life, I have good friends, I have a good job, I have a good financial situation, I have a good sense of humor, I have so much, so there is nothing wrong with my personal life.  And I’m not giving these things their due.  I’m not one to wallow or be a drama queen (I’m a WASP after all), but I should not discount the bumps in the road life sends your way.  So I’m acknowledging them and moving forward in the healing process.  First thing that helped - I got a ton of snuggles Easter Sunday from Maggie as we watched the Wizard of Oz and later in the evening.  You know I think I’ve seen that movie over a dozen times but realized I really haven’t seen the ending that often.  It is very scary (hence the snuggles)! 

And second, I went back through my Shazam list and bought a bunch of songs.  Shazam, for those not in the know, is an app on the smart phone which allows you to identify a song at a push of a button.  I’m often at the store, or in the car and a song comes up and I’m like “this is a great song, I wonder what it is and who’s it by.”  You pull out this app, push the button while the song is still playing and 5 seconds later, there is your answer.  And it keeps a log of all the songs you identified.  So going back over the last several years I had a nice playlist of songs, that surprisingly were mostly upbeat, perfect timing.  I had gotten a gift credit card for a thank you for a presentation I did last month.  So I used the $25 to buy a bunch of songs and was playing them on my commute and between my new soundtrack to life and the sunny days, I had an extra bounce in my step and bigger smile.  What songs do you ask:

Ho Hey by The Lumineers

Into the Wild by LP

Tokyo Sunrise by LP

Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men

Royals by Lorde

Thrift Shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Wake Me Up by Avicii

We Own the Night by The Wanted

Glad You Came by The Wanted

You Were Born by Cloud Cult

Some Nights by Fun

Actually I ended up buying Macklemore’s entire Heist album - all the songs are good.  I was going to link up all the songs, but realize that’s too much work so just put them into youtube and they’ll pop up.  Enjoy! 

Happy Patriots Day!

Yeah - I forgot today was Pats day until this morning and as I was enjoying a lay in with the warm spring sun pouring into the bedroom and I heard the fife and drums as the reenactments began. 

All good and off to my dentist appointment. Two fillings later and as I was walking home to grab my stuff to head into work I hit the Main Street in town and the sidewalks were packed with spectators and there were the fife and drums marching down the road, leading the parade, followed by veterans and clowns and a stage coach (strange mixing periods of history) and a long line of other stuff. 

I had just missed crossing the street - the parade had just started and there was no end in site. At first I was annoyed because I was going to be late to work because I couldn't get to the other side of the road and then I realized that even if I could get to the other side there were no busses coming anytime soon. So I enjoyed the good weather and festivities while my mouth slowly reformed back to its original shape after being numbed. 

I was amazed how many people were out, enjoying the day. I loved the buzz but also wondered about their work. The day is a holiday but only a few employees give it off (not mine). 

I'm still always goose bumpy thinking about what happened on this very soil at the start of our countries birth. 

On the plus side, I made it into Boston just at lunchtime and splurged by treating myself to lunch at one of the foodie trucks. They have really taken off in the last few years and have some really good food. The hike is just far enough from work I don't usually make it here for lunch, but when it's on the way in, who can resist. This is my first visit this year and they are almost all new. 

BTW you can see my new hair cut. It feels so good to have it chopped off. Feels so much healthier and I now have curls!  I'm slowly remembering that with shorter hair you have to wash it more often - I think because I end up putting my fingers in my hair more frequently when it's short. I don't put it back as much. 

Enjoying the sun and some new tunes I downloaded which makes it hard to walk normally and not all happy!