Rowing Tanks at the U of M

Sorry for the blurriness - yet again, I only had my cell phone with me. Next time I'll remember to take my real camera...The novi, coached by JJC, are facing me. The juniors, coached by Miriam, are facing away. Maybe next time I'll get a picture of myself, too, but it can be difficult when you're doing the rowing to take a decent picture of yourself. Good time was had by all.

What I'm going to be doing this weekend:

Rowing Tank

Should be fun.

What do Vince Flynn and A Christmas Carol have to do with each other?

Nothing, really.

Just read:

Want to read:

Committed to Transit

You know that someone is completely committed to transit when it's well after 10pm on a Friday night, it's -5(F) with a windchill of who-knows-what, and he's biking around Uptown.

Quote of the Moment

"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I ever met." -Abraham Lincoln

Work That Doesn't Feel Like Work

Over the last couple years at my job, I've done many things that haven't felt so much like work as it has felt like fun (or in the case of all the prisons I've toured, something in between work and fun; in the case of eating prison food, something worse than work). For instance, yesterday I went to Hennepin County Court to observe several different courts. It was very interesting to see how the largest judicial district in Minnesota handles many different facets of the legal system. It was with great interest that I learned that 167 different languages were spoken in Hennepin County Courts in 2007 alone. I could not name 167 different languages, let alone figure out the logistics for interpretive services for all of them.

By far, though, the best thing I have done since I took this job is the Citizens' Academy at the BCA this past fall. The BCA is one of my favorite places, and you can probably understand why I think so based on this picture taken during the class:

Dental Exams

I love going to the dentist. What could be better than having someone else (the hygienist) do your work for you (clean and floss teeth, use that nifty little ultrasonic teeth cleaner gadget) and entertain you (update you on the last 6 months of her life, watch the work she's doing in your mouth in the reflection of her glasses). But the entertainment does come at a rather close range. If you look beyond the reflection in the glasses too much, your eyes will cross as you realize the hygienist is mere inches from your face.

January: Best or Worst Timing for Reading Dark Russian Novels

I'm reading Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky and wondering whether January is the best time of year to read such a novel. Is it really in my best interest to read all Raskolnikov's mad, dark thoughts at a time when I'm climbing the walls to go outside, but it's cold and snowy and foggy and bleak out, and has been for days, all of which is slowly driving me insane?

At the same time, though, it doesn't seem like a book one would read for fun in July at the beach, either.

Goodbye, Christmas Decorations

Until we meet again next time...

My apartment now looks very bare.

Uncouth Behavior

Isn't getting the hiccups at work somewhat unseemly? I blame them on the Chipotle I had for lunch. Speaking of unseemly...eating an entire Chipotle burrito at work also seems rather less than genteel, but my New Year's resolutions don't involve improving my manners, so I guess I don't have to care about the hiccups or burrito.

It's only January 2d.

And the calendar on my desk already has multiple coffee rings and water stains on it.

Happy New Year!