a Niner win!

Wow, I was pretty surprised to hear that the Niners beat the Bucs yesterday.

I wasn't actually watching the game, since I thought they'd get their asses kicked. Plus, I was working on one of my computers, whose ethernet card had given out last week, leaving me with only one functional (9-year-old, Windows 95) desktop.

But, I digress. I figured I'd get the recap from NFL PrimeTime, so I wouldn't be too bummed next week, going to the Giants game. Well, apparently, the defensive line held Cadillac Willams, and the much maligned offensive line got Barlow his first 100-yard game of the year. In the end, five field goals by Nedney were enough to take down the division-leading Tampa Bay Bucs, even though the Niners got down to their last QB, rodeo veteran Cody Pickett, who also moonlights on special teams. Such craziness...it must have been those 1989 (Super Bowl winning) throwback jerseys.

On a side note, how old am I, when the throwback jerseys look more familiar to me than the current jerseys?

more travel

Lately, I've been adding to my "places to visit" list especially quickly.

Among the new additions:
- Vietnam & Cambodia: I hear these places are not yet as touristy as Thailand, but are equally interesting from a cultural standpoint.
- Chile: I've yet to go to South America, and Chile is among the richest and most politically stable of the South American countries. Last month, AAA magazine was advertising Chile as the new Alaska. Plus, there's Easter Island.
- Mexico's Pacific Coast (Puerto Vallerta, Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, maybe Acapulco): I'm sure we'll be in the mood for a "down" vacation sometime, and Mexico is close and cheap.
- Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Romania): I hear it's easier and easier to travel Eastern Europe nowadays, and it's still relatively inexpensive.

The rest of the list:
- Peru: All I know is that Machu Picchu is a must-see.
- Greece: It might take awhile to see both the mainland and the islands, so it'll have to be a long trip.
- Jamaica: I'm thinking this would be the ultimate beach house vacation.
- Sri Lanka: A Sri Lankan friend has been inviting us to visit for a few winters now.
- Africa: I'm not sure which part yet; maybe Morocco, maybe Egypt, maybe South Africa, maybe Madagascar. Unfortunately, it seems like much of the continent is plagued with civil wars.
- Great Britain: I'd like to spend sometime outside of London. Scotland and Wales seem interesting.
- Russia: My grandparents went when I was a kid. They brought back chocolate. Mmm...
- Costa Rica: Our alumni association did a trip to Costa Rica, which was way too expensive for me to think about, but I think we could do better by ourselves.
- Australia: Less important after having gone to New Zealand, but I'd still like to go.
- Iceland: Likewise, after having gone to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Now, if only I had the time and the money...

interviewing

I just got back from a 3 day recruiting trip, during which I attended 4 recruiting events and did 12 interviews, and I'm super tired.

I suppose it could be from the flight schedule (redeye, followed by 3 full days and an evening flight) but I think it's actually from the interviews and events themselves. As a coworker pointed out, it's actually quite exhausting to be constantly "on", trying to be polite, cheerful, articulate, friendly, upbeat, and informative, which is what's required of us when we're acting as company representatives.

I've decided it's a very good thing that I'm not in sales or marketing.

home

It's been almost a month now since we got back from Europe.

Things I miss:
- real coffee, and good bread
- beautiful parks and streets built for walking
- long, relaxing lunches and dinners
- the sense of history that pervades European cities
- seeing something new every day

Things I don't miss:
- teeny tiny bathrooms which are only marginally clean
- constantly watching out for pickpockets
- packing and unpacking couple of days
- attempting to speak French in Paris (other cities, not so bad)
- crazy expensive gas and parking prices

I still haven't had much of a chance to unwind yet: I just got back from 5 days in Houston, I'm leaving on the redeye to Boston tonight for a three day trip, and then I'll be flying to Vegas on Friday. I should really reserve some time to stay at home; my room is a mess, and I'm neglecting my Tivo.

sore!

I find it hard to get to the gym more than twice a week, what with basketball on Tuesdays and Sundays, and random other events scattered through the week. So, every time I do make it to the gym, I try to do both cardio and weights.

On Wednesday, I ran for 25 minutes, did 5 sets on the bench (up to 80 lbs), 4 sets of lunges, and 4 sets of leg lifts. On Thursday, I was unable to walk.

It's Saturday morning now, and my legs finally feel normal again.

American English

While in Europe, I always get used to looking for the little (British) flag icons, because they usually indicate things that are in English.

This time, when we were connecting through Heathrow on the way back from our trip, I walked by a currency conversion booth, and I wanted to confirm my belief that no one should ever exchange money at airports, so I looked to see what the exchange rate was for US dollars.

Except, my eyes instantaneously locked on the line with the , and my initial conclusion was that the dollar must have gone crazy in the last two days. It took me several seconds to realize that I should have been looking for the icon instead.

if only hybrids were fast...

I just paid an even $40 for 13.16 gallons of gas. This marks the first time that I've ever paid over $35 for gas, as well as the first time that I've paid more than $3 per gallon. Ouch.