Yesterday I decided to listen to my 21 days and 11 hours of music from A-Z, no skipping songs, no listening to anything else (on my computer or ipod) until I'm done. This is going to be quite the undertaking, which I realized as I suffered through an hour of afroman. "Because I got high" is funny...an hour of that guy is just too much.
On the flip side, I've heard a few songs that I really like that I usually skip over, and even made me fall in love with a couple bands so far that I would usually rarely listen to (air, amon tobin). Somehow it seems like whatever music comes on, it always suits my mood, which leads me to the question of the day: Is it my mood that dictates the music I choose, or is it the music I listen to that dictates my mood? Obviously, it goes both ways, but I am beginning to think that music has a much greater influence on my thoughts and mood than I would have previously given it credit for.
I am going to bring a notebook on the bus tomorrow and continue my experiment during my 5 hour bus ride to San Francisco, writing about any observations I have. I'm also bringing my portable thoreau, I'm going to study a chapter of chemistry, then read an essay by thoreau, then study a chapter of organic chemistry, then thoreau, and on and on. I need to get ready for two midterms next week, but I also want to take advantage of the down time to read something just for me.
Today I got to talk to the president of the ADA (American Dietetic association). He was talking about the opportunities within the ADA itself, including being a spokesperson for the ADA. That position really caught my attention, and made me think about pursuing a career in Nutrition writing and communication. I will always love writing and journalism, and while I definitely want to work in a clinical dietetics setting for a few years, I could see myself writing for a newspaper, or a magazine, or even doing PR for the ADA or a nonprofit community nutrition organization.
The world of nutrition is rapidly expanding along with America's collective waist line, and it seems like possibilities are multiplying exponentially. There's always a part of me that wants to go to grad school and become a researcher for performance and sports nutrition, and I still want to get involved in health care, and I also want to write. I know I can't pursue any one career that encompasses all of those, but writing could always be a complement to whatever career path I do end up taking.
I am more excited now than ever before for the prospects of the fruits of my scholastic labor.
I'm about to ride to the beach with my friend Snails, today's weather has been absolutely beautiful, and I've been riding around town all day. I went to Cambria Bicycle outfitters, where they sold me a lockring to replace the one I bent, and installed it for free. I'm going to take a sixpack of some nice lager to share with the guy that helped me next time I'm in. CBO has always taken care of me, and the guys are all super down to earth.
I hope you all have a great day, best wishes from the bike path!
Johnny
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Free pancakes at IHOP
Tomorrow is gonna be awesome. I get out of class at 3, then there's a nutrition club meeting that Marty Yubrick (one of the few male dieticians, now working for a software developer in nutrition in healthcare) is speaking at, then I'm gonna ride really quickly to avila beach and back, then I'm having dinner with my uncle Roger, then I'm having free pancakes at IHOP.
Wednesday should be good too, out of class at 10AM, a meet and greet with Marty Yubrick, coffee with my swedish friend Maja at noon, then I'm thinking of riding to Morro bay, will definitely take a fairly long ride.
Then on Thursday I have class until 3pm, then I leave for San Francisco on the AMTRAK at 3:45, get in to the Ferry Building at 10:30, gonna ride around with Henry and maybe Sean at the island for a little while (hopefully it won't be raining) and then ride back to their house.
Seans birthday party is on Friday, Henry and I are gonna ride the 17 mile city loop in the afternoon, then dinner and afterwards Sean's birthday party. Saturday, depending on the severity of the hangover, might include paradise loop, a 43 mile ride up into Marin, which apparently has some pretty aggressive hills.
Then Sunday I leave from the Ferry building at 10:05 AM and ride a bus back to San Luis, and I'll be back by 4pm. I'm bringing my chem and ochem books to read on the train, because I am way behind in both of those classes and finals are coming up.
I haven't posted any philosophical posts lately, in fact I haven't even had many philosophical thoughts, been pretty busy going to school, studying and riding my bike, but I hope to dive back into my portable thoreau soon and see what nuggets I can squeeze out of life.
Take care fellow bloggers, have a good week!
Wednesday should be good too, out of class at 10AM, a meet and greet with Marty Yubrick, coffee with my swedish friend Maja at noon, then I'm thinking of riding to Morro bay, will definitely take a fairly long ride.
Then on Thursday I have class until 3pm, then I leave for San Francisco on the AMTRAK at 3:45, get in to the Ferry Building at 10:30, gonna ride around with Henry and maybe Sean at the island for a little while (hopefully it won't be raining) and then ride back to their house.
Seans birthday party is on Friday, Henry and I are gonna ride the 17 mile city loop in the afternoon, then dinner and afterwards Sean's birthday party. Saturday, depending on the severity of the hangover, might include paradise loop, a 43 mile ride up into Marin, which apparently has some pretty aggressive hills.
Then Sunday I leave from the Ferry building at 10:05 AM and ride a bus back to San Luis, and I'll be back by 4pm. I'm bringing my chem and ochem books to read on the train, because I am way behind in both of those classes and finals are coming up.
I haven't posted any philosophical posts lately, in fact I haven't even had many philosophical thoughts, been pretty busy going to school, studying and riding my bike, but I hope to dive back into my portable thoreau soon and see what nuggets I can squeeze out of life.
Take care fellow bloggers, have a good week!
Quick update
It's been a few days. Been on a few more rides, total of about 110 miles last week, topped off with a great rainy day ride to Pismo, Shell and Avila beaches, and then up to Port San Luis. a 35 mile ride.
Rode to Lopez Lake on Saturday (thats the ride I couldn't finish a couple Sundays ago) and kicked it's ass.
I'm really struggling in Chem right now, mainly because I spend hours on the road and not enough hours studying. After the ride yesterday I made a big pot of pasta with some red sauce made with mushrooms, zuchinni, green onions, yellow onions, garlic, cabernet, cayenne pepper, crushed red peppers, paprika and italian seasonings, shared it with Jason (one of the guys I rode with), great post ride meal. I burned an extra 6000 calories this week from biking, but I definitely ate enough to compensate haha. I get back from long rides and munch on anything in sight for hours.
My friend Steven and I are going to the cal poly wheelmen (club racing team) meeting on Wednesday, I'd really like to start road racing. Anyways, heres a picture I took on the way to Lopez Lake, my friend Polka got a flat so we all stopped for a break while he fixed it, it was nice to have a little bit of rest, since it was at the top of a pretty big hill too:
Rode to Lopez Lake on Saturday (thats the ride I couldn't finish a couple Sundays ago) and kicked it's ass.
I'm really struggling in Chem right now, mainly because I spend hours on the road and not enough hours studying. After the ride yesterday I made a big pot of pasta with some red sauce made with mushrooms, zuchinni, green onions, yellow onions, garlic, cabernet, cayenne pepper, crushed red peppers, paprika and italian seasonings, shared it with Jason (one of the guys I rode with), great post ride meal. I burned an extra 6000 calories this week from biking, but I definitely ate enough to compensate haha. I get back from long rides and munch on anything in sight for hours.
My friend Steven and I are going to the cal poly wheelmen (club racing team) meeting on Wednesday, I'd really like to start road racing. Anyways, heres a picture I took on the way to Lopez Lake, my friend Polka got a flat so we all stopped for a break while he fixed it, it was nice to have a little bit of rest, since it was at the top of a pretty big hill too:
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Bike ride to Avila
So all day today I had been planning on taking a ride to Avila beach, I was originally going to leave after class at around 10:30. I locked my keys in my apartment when I left for class though, which means I had no way of locking my bike up, which means I skipped class (not risking getting my shit stolen). I miss too many lectures.
So instead of being in class, all this morning I was just riding around the church parking lot across the street from my apartments, did 7 backwards circles in a row, got a 3 pedal stroke wheelie in, and got better at doing leg over skids (throw my leg over the handlebars, lock my other leg and skid)
After that I got lazy, and sat around studying for Ochem all day until 4, when I decided I needed to get that bike ride in that I had been planning all day. It was a beautiful day, clear skies for miles, and the beach wasn't windy at all. I rode pretty hard to Avila, posted up on the beach and hung out for about 15 minutes:
As I was sitting there listening to Computer vs Banjo in my headphones, I thought... this is the perfect moment to enjoy a beer, a hard ride, a sunny day, a beautiful beach... too bad I don't have one. But then just for the hell of it I checked in my backpack and found a PBR that had been chillin' in the side pocket for months, popped it open and enjoyed the warm, frothy goodness
left my apartment at 4:00, Got to avila at 4:40, hung out and rode around a little until 4:55, then rode back, got to my apartment at 5:35, and after all the mashing around trying to beat the sunset back to my apartment it was chow time, my Mom came on Monday for lunch and brought me a fresh baked loaf of whole wheat bread, so I cut off a couple slices and toasted them, double stacked two of my new hummus burgers, threw a couple slices of my 5 pound brick of cheese on, some fresh onions and bell peppers, squirted some mustard, and enjoyed. It was DEE lishous. And with a banana (and two fudge chocolate chip cookies, also gifts from my mom) for dessert, it was the perfect post workout meal.
I'm going to try and get a solid bike ride in at least every other day, I definitely have the free time, might as well get in shape and enjoy the great outdoors (I love the long rides, nothing clears my mind better than being on my bike for a couple hours... except maybe snowboarding but I can't afford to do anymore of that this year)
So instead of being in class, all this morning I was just riding around the church parking lot across the street from my apartments, did 7 backwards circles in a row, got a 3 pedal stroke wheelie in, and got better at doing leg over skids (throw my leg over the handlebars, lock my other leg and skid)
After that I got lazy, and sat around studying for Ochem all day until 4, when I decided I needed to get that bike ride in that I had been planning all day. It was a beautiful day, clear skies for miles, and the beach wasn't windy at all. I rode pretty hard to Avila, posted up on the beach and hung out for about 15 minutes:
As I was sitting there listening to Computer vs Banjo in my headphones, I thought... this is the perfect moment to enjoy a beer, a hard ride, a sunny day, a beautiful beach... too bad I don't have one. But then just for the hell of it I checked in my backpack and found a PBR that had been chillin' in the side pocket for months, popped it open and enjoyed the warm, frothy goodness
left my apartment at 4:00, Got to avila at 4:40, hung out and rode around a little until 4:55, then rode back, got to my apartment at 5:35, and after all the mashing around trying to beat the sunset back to my apartment it was chow time, my Mom came on Monday for lunch and brought me a fresh baked loaf of whole wheat bread, so I cut off a couple slices and toasted them, double stacked two of my new hummus burgers, threw a couple slices of my 5 pound brick of cheese on, some fresh onions and bell peppers, squirted some mustard, and enjoyed. It was DEE lishous. And with a banana (and two fudge chocolate chip cookies, also gifts from my mom) for dessert, it was the perfect post workout meal.
I'm going to try and get a solid bike ride in at least every other day, I definitely have the free time, might as well get in shape and enjoy the great outdoors (I love the long rides, nothing clears my mind better than being on my bike for a couple hours... except maybe snowboarding but I can't afford to do anymore of that this year)
I was guided to the realization last night that I'm pretty selfish. Usually when someone tries to call me out or show me something about myself with good intentions, I burn them and walk away.
But I have been selfish in most of the friendships/relationships I've been in for awhile now. I'm setting out to change that. A big part of it is being too negative, not being encouraging stuff like that. Anyways that as neither here nor there.
I made another batch of veggie burgers, used eggs this time, helped them stick together, also added orange bell peppers and zuchinni chopped up in there. Oh and instead of pinto beans I mashed up garbanzo beans so they have a pseudo hummus flavor to them.
I'm going on a bike ride to the beach and back right now since the weather is so damn beautiful.
But I have been selfish in most of the friendships/relationships I've been in for awhile now. I'm setting out to change that. A big part of it is being too negative, not being encouraging stuff like that. Anyways that as neither here nor there.
I made another batch of veggie burgers, used eggs this time, helped them stick together, also added orange bell peppers and zuchinni chopped up in there. Oh and instead of pinto beans I mashed up garbanzo beans so they have a pseudo hummus flavor to them.
I'm going on a bike ride to the beach and back right now since the weather is so damn beautiful.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Back to San Francisco
I am going north to my favorite city on February 26th or 27th if all goes as planned. I'm going to try to sell my computer monitor to fund the trip.
I will be taking the coast starlight train (amtrak) up there, getting dropped off at the ferry building, aKa the island, aKa a sweet biking spot, at around 10pm. I'm planning on kicking it around there for a couple hours before I ride to Sean's house if it's not raining.
This whole trip is to go up for Sean's birthday party, with the lovely benefit of being a nice holiday to my happiest place on earth.
Got new clips for my bike, because my old ones were broken (they lasted a little more than a month), so I bought metal ones that'll stand up to my abuse. I can do 3 backwards circles now, but can only ride away from 1, and not all the time. I really want to be able to pop up and whip out of them but that'll be a ways down the road. Still having trouble learning wheelies, I'll get them one day I'm sure.
I will be taking the coast starlight train (amtrak) up there, getting dropped off at the ferry building, aKa the island, aKa a sweet biking spot, at around 10pm. I'm planning on kicking it around there for a couple hours before I ride to Sean's house if it's not raining.
This whole trip is to go up for Sean's birthday party, with the lovely benefit of being a nice holiday to my happiest place on earth.
Got new clips for my bike, because my old ones were broken (they lasted a little more than a month), so I bought metal ones that'll stand up to my abuse. I can do 3 backwards circles now, but can only ride away from 1, and not all the time. I really want to be able to pop up and whip out of them but that'll be a ways down the road. Still having trouble learning wheelies, I'll get them one day I'm sure.
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