Category: steelie
I have a cold… I’m exhuasted… but I feel alive!
Late last night, while my computer was processing some files, I was watching some of Jump London, a Parkour (PK) / Free-running documentary. I love videos like this because even though I only got to see 15 minutes of it, I just felt absolutely inspired to get up from my computer desk and run… it didn’t matter that it was 2:15 am… or where I would go… there was simply nothing I’d rather be doing, than PK.
This morning I was running a bit late… well it was tight but I would have been on time but Little “L” wanted me to take him to the toilet at daycare before I left. It’s kinda become part of our morning routine but I was hoping he wouldn’t notice so that I might slip away to catch the ferry. Note to Self: Kids always notice when their routine is thrown off… and hey, he did want to use the toilet which is excellent potty training progress. Can’t fault him for that.
After settling him into his class, instead of rushing like I normally would, I deceided to take some Me time. The next boat wasn’t coming for another half-hour, so I dropped the car back home and ran down to the the train track that run along the waterfront on the way to the ferry. I decided to run/walk/jump along the rocks along the shoreline for excercise, PK practice and just for fun. My run, however, became much more meditative than I could have ever
expected…
The stretch of rocks was roughly a 0.8 – 1.0 km run. I became completely focussed on the the rocks surfaces… where and how my feet had to land… when and where I had to place my hands… all as I negotiated my way along the shoreline. Once I reached my destination, I went in but realised that this morning, I felt I was meant to stay outside and continue moving. I really did not want to stop.
Once on the ferry, I felt like I had become very aware of everything around me. I watched the waves like I used to when I was a kid. I watched and really noticed how things in the forground pass by quicker than those in the background — I already knew they did but It was like I was realising it for the first time.
For the greater portion of the day I have felt completely f’under the weather, physically. I have, however, quite enjoyed being in my head today.
I have always looked forward to doing PK with the rest of the group because there is a great energy about it… and it has been far too long since I’ve the chance to go out. Having said that, in the video, Sebastien Foucan (co-founder of PK), explained that you learn more about Parkour and yourself as a traceur, when you train by yourself. He said something to effect of (and I’m paraphasing here), when you train alone, you are afraid of things more because you only have yourself to rely on mentally and physically. The mind can be your enemy when you’re alone and it’s important to analyse and understand why we are afraid of things the way we are to move past them.
From now on I will train alone more often as opposed to always looking to next group run as the next time I can go. I’m going to out again this weekend. More than once.
Parkour is briliant.
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steelie
QotD: Fooled
What's the best April Fool's Day prank you've pulled off or been fooled by?
I like to joke around but I’m actually not too much a prankster, per se. That being said, while I realise that this prank is not isolated to April Fool’s Day (so I may lose points for this), I have this one ongoing prank that I’ve been playing on one of my co-workers since Christmas break… so by default April Fool’s Day gets included…
Most people took the Christmas week off but I had used the remainder of my vacation time for the birth of Baby “X”. So, I worked. I wanted to listed to music without my headphones but the built-in speaker was below my desk (in my computer, oddly enough) so the sound wasn’t the greatest. I share a cubicle wall with one of my co-workers who has great external speakers hooked up to his computer. I did a bit of digging and found a small freeware application that allows you to control the iTunes on another Mac on the same network. I was able to play music through my co-worker’s speakers but control it from my own computer. It was great! What eventually made it even better is that I never told him I found this little program…
… he was off over the break… HE is a prankster… he has played a number of small tricks on me in the past and now I’m finally able to get him back.
So, since January, I’ve been randomly launching iTunes on his computer and/or switching songs on him… not all the time… and not at regular intervals… maybe a couple of times one week… maybe not until three weeks after that. It’s fun. He has no idea. I don’t think I’ll tell him until his or my last day.
I’ve “been had” enough times… I plan on milking this one for a while.
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steelie
(PS: Sorry to be such a poor Vox neighbour lately… too busy for my own liking. I do read as much as possible. Just not much time to post or comment.)
[UPDATE]
I meant to inlclude this earlier… if for no other reason to help with the visualisation of how this happens and why it’s so funny to me. My favourite example to date was one time TM was having a bit of a meeting at his computer with our production manager JL. They were looking at a booklet design he had created when (and this is the gutsiest I’ve been so far… almost didn’t do it) I launched iTunes, popping it into the forground on his desktop. JL said, “What was that?” TM replied, “I don’t fucking know. iTunes launches itself sometimes and I can’t figure out why!”
I was on the other side of the cubicle wall in a silent laughing fit.
I know some of you will think this is mean of me… but anyone who knows him would LOVE the idea that someone is putting (a harmless) one over on him. I mean, hey…. the guy shot the manager of the HR department in the testicles with a toy pingpong-ball gun he has at his desk. He’s due.
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steelie
QotD: This Time Last Year
What were you doing one year ago today?
Submitted by CassandraMorgan.
A year ago today was a Sunday… and all I know for sure is that I did Parkour for at least part of it.
(Surprise!)
Okay… so I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now…
But, I was hoping to be done by now…
Well, here I sit at my computer desk STARTING on my work “this evening” (overtime) that I was hoping to be done by now… It 12:50 AM here and I’m just waking up after having fallen asleep on Little “L’s” bedroom floor… after struggling to get him to bed… after only having gotten one hour of sleep the night/morning before…
Note to first-time parents of babies or young toddlers:
Your child WILL someday become aware of the fact that you really want them to become potty-trained and WILL someday use this to thier advantage to stay awake waaaaaay longer than they ought to. This MIGHT seem cute for a while but WILL invariably/eventually wear on you…
Ugh…
Now I have to start working on something that has to be done for tomorrow/today…
Double ugh… with fries… burnt ones…
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steelie
Vox feedback for March 10, 2007…
Hello again…
This feedback tidbit has to do with my “Home” page when I log in… and Exploring, indirectly. I’ve been reluctant to explore Vox and add new neighbours because as of right now, the Friends & Family posts I really want to keep track of keep getting bumped by my Neighbours’ posts… What I’m really hoping can be done is some sort of filter that I could potentially adjust myself, that would allow me to chose whether I want my “New in your neighbourhood” section to show recent items from my Neighbourhood, my Friends, my Family or my Friends & Family.
Personally, I would love to be able to log-in and immediately get up-to-date on my Friends & Family. And then, if there was no action on that front, I would be able to click over and catch-up on my neighbours. As of right now, I don’t have the time to check all of my F&F’s blogs individually to see if I’ve missed anything, so I rely heavily on my “Home” page.
I’m not saying that everyone Voxes like I do but it would great to have that option. I’ve also ran this idea by a few other Voxers I know outside of the Voxosphere and they’re in favour of such a thing too.
Thanks for listening.
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steelie
(I’m trying to be Voxy, honest)