We figured out what we want in order to be productive in life!

So earlier this week Jon and I figured out a few things that would really help us to become much more productive in life. Here goes.

1. The ability to function without any sleep. We have to spend about 8 hours a night to function at our best and we can't seem to work to our fullest potential when we are even feeling sleepy. Imagine what we could do with those extra 8 hours.
2. The ability to function without eating. Not only will this free up the actual time spent eating, but also free up time spent preparing food, grocery shopping and doing dishes. All activities that are a pain in the ass.
3. The ability to function without bathing and have an unlimited supply of clean cloths on hand. Showering and getting ready for a day at work or a night out ranges from 10 to 30 minutes. Always being clean and always having clean cloths would save that time. And there would be no need to do laundry, another pain in the ass activity!
4. Maintaining a healthy physique without spending time at the gym. I do enjoy the gym, but imagine how that time could be used if it did not have to be spent at the gym.
5. Functioning without the need to use the bathroom. Let's face it... POOPING TAKES TIME! Time that could be spent else ware.
6. And finally... Teleportation. Commuting to work and having to walk from building to building, office to office and lab to lab... all a pain in the ass.

That's it. So basically, we want to be gods. Is that so much to ask!

Lately I have been functioning while being stretched pretty thin. Hence why I have been contemplating these things that will never be attained. Oh well. All I can do it keep at it.

Yesterday was a much needed break from the day to day struggles with the many aspects of my life. More on that later.

Yesterday Emily and I played miniature golf. It had been on our "to do" list for date ideas for quite some time. The place we played at also had a golf driving range. So we bought a bucket of balls and took some shots. Neither one of us are particularly talented golfers, but it was fun to fake it.

We then went to "Lollypop farm" which is a humane society for dogs, cats and other animals in need of new owners. I think there were about 6 dogs that Emily wanted to take home. There were also a couple of goats in the farm animal area that were fighting for my attention and eating my shorts, no joke!

We went to church late in the afternoon. I must mention here that we were entertained through mass by a small blond haired girl about 2 years old who kept making faces and smiling at Emily and I. I think that Emily just has a natural attractive quality with children and they gravitate to her has a result. I always tell her she will make a great teacher and mother someday.

We wrapped up the Saturday with a very fancy dinner at the Mendon House with Emily's family for her parents 25th anniversary.

And now... another work week!

Fucking Yankees, Reports Nation | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Fucking Yankees, Reports Nation

Yeah... that about says it all! I'm not into the whole Boston/New York fan rivalry thing, but I can not believe that a team that was 14 1/2 games back at their worst point in the season is now 2 1/2 games behind and in a position to overtake Boston!

I mean WTF?

FUCKING YANKEES... they do this every year!

Sabres vs. Penguins at the Ralph Wilson Stadium, January 1, 2008!

Sabres Game at the Ralph Wilson Stadium

COUNT ME IN! This is going to be incredible!

The first time a regular season NHL game has EVER been played outdoors and it's happening right in my backyard!

SWEEEEEEET!

Geekin' it out over the past few days... and watching football in the process.

Here I am on a Sunday evening watching the Patriots get out to an early 7-0 lead with a stomach full of a garbage plate from Pennfield Hots. How did I get here since we last spoke?

Thursday I went out to McGregors for beer and food in the company of the other RIT graduate students (Matt, Tim, Erin, Mary, Patrick). We were there primarily to welcome Jarrad as one of the new 2007 batch of students. He seems like a nice guy... he will fit in just fine. The food was greasy, the beer was cold and fufilling and the discussion was witty as per our usual custom!

Friday, I succomed to Jon's requests to allow him to update my laptop to make it operate faster. I am quite impressed with what he has done. With the purchase of a bit more memory it will get even faster. Additionally, RIT is getting rid of dozens of computer monitors from computer labs by GIVING THEM AWAY FOR FREE! They are not flat panel monitors... but who cares. I picked one up and made a nice dual monitor set up for my work station at home. (Hence the "Geekin' it out") So, this may lead to increased productivity... or increased procrastination.

Saturday I demonstrated that the extra monitor does indeed contribute more to productivity rather than procrastination by cranking out some serious thesis/journal paper writing during the day on Saturday. Then I went over to Em's apartment where we shopped for ingredients at Wegman's for "Pizza Meatballs"... a recipe we randomly found online. And for desert, miniature graham cracker pie shells filled with instant chocolate mouse. The meatballs were stuffed with mozzarella cheese that melted and oozed out of the meatballs upon cooking. They were incredible... I think I had a "foodgasm" while eating them! We then watched "Stranger Than Fiction", which we both enjoyed.

Sunday I was happy to have my parents and also my brother come up to visit me. The last time I saw them was probably towards the end of the summer. We chatted a whole lot about everything while watching the Bills game. I took them over to Emily's new apartment to show them. Em and I entertained them there for the remainder of the game (a 26-3 loss to the Steelers). We then went for a dinner of garbage plates at Pennfield Hots. This was the first time my parents had a garbage plate. They seemed to enjoy it! Then we said goodbye.

That brings me to the here and now... in which my garbage plate is still gurgling through my stomach (!!!) and the Patriots (much to my disapproval) have expanded their lead to 17-0.

Re: 9/11

Jim Hill : What was it like to be at Disneyland and/or Walt Disney World six years ago today?

Take a moment to check out this link. This is incredibly surreal.

Everyone remembers where they were when the planes hit. Did you ever think about what it must have been like if you were in an incredibly happy fun place at the time when it happened?

9/11/01

On a comfortable, sunny, cloudless Tuesday morning I was coming out of English 101 class being held in the "trailer classroom", a temporary classroom set up as an extension of the space in Carroll Hall at Nazareth. My upon exiting, my friend Drew told me of a plane hitting the WTC. My initial thoughts were, "Those buildings are huge, how could a pilot, accidentally hit them?" I then proceeded to Biology Lab, thinking about all the hundreds of people who must have perished in such a terrible accident, confident that some major aviation malfunction was to blame.

About one hour into my lab class, I was practicing my micro pipetting technique as my lab partner (Sarah) drowsily helped set up experiments. A few others in the class speculated about what had happened. It was then that Dr. Temple (my favorite professor in the Biology Department at Nazareth) entered the classroom and filled in Dr. Hallahan on the more recent events that had occurred over the past couple hours. I over heard scary terms like "second plane hitting", "multiple planes hijacked" and "possible terrorism". Dr. Temple then filled us in on the details and announced that all classes after 12 PM were canceled. I then headed back to my dorm room to turn on CNN.

My room was dark... empty... unnecessarily warm, as most rooms in the O'Connor residence hall tend to be in early September.

I turned on the TV and chanced the channel to CNN.

My jaw dropped... I gasped.

I took a step back from the TV in disbelief as I tried to comprehend what I was seeing.

And the rest is history.

Please... NEVER FORGET. Or history will be destined to repeat its self.

Another work week commences.

It's been a while since I have posted. Personally I blame that on my job/school. Classes have begun last week and I have instituted a strict 10 hour work day (8AM to 6PM) into my schedule to increase productivity. I have been getting some very important high demand directives sent down from the chemists at B&L that are supervising my research and since they are also funding me... they are PRIORITY #1! I will give a bit more details about my job in time.

Yesterday Emily, Meridith (Em's roommate) and I ran the Bruegger's Bagels 5k Road race. The weather was a cool 65° with a cold rain. The weather was great for competative running. Much more comfortable than 90° and humid. I ran splits of 6:42 and (a surprising) 6:37 for the first and second mile then followed it up with a disappointing 8 minute third mile/finish. I still ran a season best by topping my Fishes and Loaves 5k by 9 seconds. Plus... I must give mega props to Emily (who admits she is not a runner) for topping her Fishes and Loaves 5k time by 2 minutes! GOOD JOB! This was only her second road race and she has already picked a third she wishes to do in late October. She is now a "runner in denial" as I say. :-) I am proud of you Em!

Now, very quick before I get to work, I direct your attention to the "Blogs of Note" section. "Jon's Exotic Adventures" is a relatively new blog by a former teammate of mine from Nazareth. This guy graduated last year and will be going to Mozambique with the Peace Core to teach science for 27 months! I find that very impressive. It is going to be quite an adventure to follow. Also, if you want to learn more about the city I live in, read Richard Shade Gardner's blog. This guy actually hiked around Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and dozens of other lakes in the Finger Lake region of New York! I also recommend The "Freakonomics" Blog is quite interesting and one that I read frequently. If you enjoyed the book you will enjoy the blog.

I'm out! Time to be productive!

I have not left the building!

Don't you worry. After a steady and consistent string of posts during the past month of August I don't want you to think I have already given up on this blog like my previous ones. I have been preoccupied with relaxing over the holiday weekend and starting work/new school year (extremely demanding and hectic). Also, I have had some problems with my internet connection at home... mainly being that it works only when it feels like working. The other residents and I are working on that.

In the mean time I will say I had a great holiday weekend (tell me about yours in the comments section!) even though my first day of classes was yesterday. Yes, no joke. RIT starts class on Labor day! One of the sucky perks that comes with attending RIT.

On the IL league baseball front, Rochester was defeated by Buffalo again on Saturday (in the 10th inning) thus eliminating Rochester from the playoffs. The following day Rochester returned the favor and took Buffalo out of the playoffs with a 3-0 victory. So much for rooting for Buffalo baseball in the post-season. Who cares! Next weekend is opening day for the Bills anyway.

Hopefully I will be able to tell a bit more about what has been going on these days once I get my home internet connection fixed.

I will leave with this. On the way to a Labor Day party on Saturday, Emily and I managed to see and spook a chipmunk at the foot of the wall to her apartment building. Now chipmunks are like mice on speed given the fact that they are the super-hyper skittish kings of the rodent world. This one was no exception. We meant no harm as we walked by yet he decided to flee from us by jumping head first into this drain pipe (you see his tail sticking out?). He did manage to escape after a moment, so no chipmunks were harmed in the construction of this blog post!