I climbed a 5.11 at the gym tonight. First time that has ever happened. Quite happy. Nevertheless I am still perplexed by some of the current 5.10s. I need to return to the roof section as well, having ignored that for so long, not to mention the bouldering and my half official goal of winning the next bouldering comp's intermediate section. I can't even reliably get up a V3 yet!
The climbing gym has started a 'bouldering boot camp' that focuses on strength development for rock climbing. A friend I thought we would check it out. A class is a good way to maintain a schedule too, so I was particularly drawn. If I could turn climbing into a proper work out (a la regular gym) that would be superlative.
This boot camp turned out be surprisingly hard core. The warm up was interesting, hopping on one food, warming up the shoulders my swinging around the arms, then the 'power yoga' started. This was a bit of chair for 30s or so then staying in chair twisting the torso to the left and right, holding each for 20s then, going back to chair for another 10s or so. Pretty intense on the quads! Then there was another pose that escapes me at the moment.
After the warm up it was into the rotation track. Everyone was paired up. Each station was 45s long, with two activities, each parter does one for the 45s. Sometimes the 2nd was just a rest and each activity was done twice. The worst stations were probably squatting with a boxing bag: squatting and standing, lifting a boxing bag constantly for 45 seconds is rough. It really helped to have your partner cheer you on. After that there was some tree pose and a balance exercise which was fortunate because the following station was inverted crunches on a swiss ball and 'running push ups' (in the push up position bring one foot up to your chest level and back down again in turn). After that I thought I would puke.
It was a really great work out in the end. I had super tight hamstrings all day for the following two days!
I experienced climbing on real rock for the first time today. Some friends from up the street and I went bouldering out at the sleeping giant park.
The appeal of rock climbing for me has always been the combined mental and physical challenge: what is the best sequence to get up the route and can you physically complete it? Not to mention avoiding freaking out on the rock, getting 'gripped' and managing the adrenaline along the way.
The physical aspect is largely ameliorated in the rock gym, at any stage you can relax and it is not a problem you either fall onto a soft mat or can just lean back on the rope. This is not the case when you are bouldering proper. This fact definitely hits home when your feet are maybe six feet off the ground and you really do not want to fall, but are not totally sure where you are going to put your hand next. Then you feel a little adrenaline, a little fear. It is a bit more intense than working the gym. It makes you more conservative about advancing. In the gym you can just throw yourself at something and if you fail it isn't a big deal, not always the case bouldering outside.
Another contrast between the real and the gym: The routes that are available are basically up to you on the real rock and are often times less defined, if you can find a hold and use it, then great. Nothing is marked except by other climbers' chalked hands. This is great for getting used to looking for holds in real rock. It isn't so great when the diversity of routes available in one spot are limited. The climbing gym is really great in that regard: many varied and rated problem sets in one small space. You do not necessarily get that on the rock.
There are practical things to consider too, the mud, moss and weather. Bringing jandals to put on after you top out on the boulder to avoid having to walk around in the dirt with your climbing shoes on. One or more crash pads to keep your ankles intact if you fall off, and some observant friends to spot you and stop your head hitting the ground in the event of an uncontrolled fall; some chocolate is nice too.
Overall climbing outside is fun, but at the moment I don't necessarily see it as superior to the rock gym itself. Perhaps with time my mind will change. I'd like to see what top roping outdoors is like...
Over 40 breweries, with more than 150 brews, several hundred people, in three and a half hours on one lightly rainy afternoon. A determined team of four New Haven residents set out to sample, compare, and critique. It was bliss.
There were some definite stand outs. Otter creek's Imperial IPA and Imperial Stout, Brookyln Breweries' Local #2 (and perhaps coffee stout). Sam Adams had an expectedly competent showing as well (again with stout, and a double bock that rubbed me the right way). Farmington River had some interesting brews too their blonde did not taste like a blonde, but was still fine; Their mahogany was interesting as well. A seemingly curious approach to hopping was employed.
At the other end of olfaction's limits lurked Magic Hat's Wacko. Beets in the brew? Sure why not? but it only resulted in a pink colour and very little flavour. Summer brews are apparently an invitation to do something crazy. There is novelty there but it wears off quickly and if not iterated each season they become uninteresting. I won't be back for any of last year's range and these new attempts are merely dull. Anything from SBC (too sweet stout or too bland and oddly grassy attempt at brown ale).
The serious tasting became quite difficult but not completely impossible after a while. It was clear that this event did not encourage, not had even considered that people might sample and spit. So opinions may vary down the line.
The real tragedy is that East Rock liquor outlets seems to be unawares of all of this finery. Perhaps an arrangement can be met with the breweries directly?
In addition to the wide range of beers on offer, I staunched the alcohol's march to my frontal lobes with a pulled pork sandwich, a cheeseburger and a steak tip sandwich in addition to a many bottles of water. It was definitely meat day.
Somehow after all this we managed a short trip to Delany's Tap Room where we were somehow able to eat and drink yet more! For me, dinner was a Reuben sandwich paired with a Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Imperial IPA.
A co-attending friend had manage to win the biggest prize in the raffle ticket draw that afternoon. This included many large sized brewery company t-shirts and the odd pint glass. What a great day out.
I have secured another year's employment, and this month marks the beginning of that second term. I am particularly happy about this because Yale is going though some budgetary restructuring due to endowment shrinkage. The subsequent laceration of the operations has not extended into research thus far it seems. Additionally, I am now a postdoctoral associate for real, having my PhD proper now.
I was really stressed a little while ago about getting my J-1 status renewed here. This was not a problem to fix, but I will have to get a new Visa if I leave the country so I can get back in on my return. How long might that take? Perhaps a good excuse to get back to NZ. But long story short: Immigration issue resolved.
Currently research is at it's frustrating best. Experiments don't yield the expected (previously published) results so what could I be doing wrong? Reading upon reading with a side of reading is a sure prescription! I am feeling a particular impetus to get on with these things so I can get to a conference!
Also some how it is May already, and I am still trying to get on with work left over from my PhD! Cripes.
Yes indeed, this is the (glamorous) life of a postdoc.
Dear online journal,
I have noticed that your main journal content page search function has only let me search by name or title for some time now. This is unacceptable, cease and desist this ridiculous behaviour. As far as your front page goes, I don't care what else is there but you must—MUST have a search by volume and page number. I already have my reference, I found it by doing those name and title searches on some other database that is far more suited for that sort of thing. I am at your site because I already know exactly what it is that I want. Stop obfuscating and frustrating with your unhelpful search interface.
Yours faithfully,
A postdoctoral associate
Filled out my first US tax returns. I don't remember ever filling out a tax return before, anywhere. These returns were completed a shade close to the April 15th deadline but on time nevertheless. Separate federal and state tax returns are required for federal and state taxes. Both of these levels of government tax income. There is also a wonderful 6 % tax called 'use tax' in CT. Almost any possession you purchase to use in CT has a 6 % rider attached to it by the state government, that you have to keep track of and then report in your statement. That is a whole year of saving receipts and remembering so that you don't under report your tax, super.
The essence of these returns is that you figure out how much tax you should owe then compare that to the tax you actually paid. The difference is then what the government cares about, at both levels. I didn't realise that for a bit. It seems much simpler now, after figuring out exactly which form should be filled out (non resident alien, part year resident, resident, etc.) it is pretty straightforward. I can see how people can find this frustrating, but it is mainly just keeping track of the paperwork.
Happily it appears I am due a couple of refunds.
I competed in my first bouldering competition this weekend. Bouldering is rock climbing without a rope on routes (referred to as 'problems') that are quite close to the ground and often very difficult. It is an activity in its own right and also an immense boon to those who wish to develop skill top-roping (the usual sort of rock climbing, with height, on a rope).
I entered the competition in the recreational class, which is for beginners, having only been really been bouldering once before, the previous Wednesday. Turning up the gym at 4:30 in the afternoon and registering I hung around looking at the routes for an hour before climbing started. The gym was really full, the most people there I have ever seen; students competing in the collegiate climbing series had traveled from RI and even Westpoint to compete as individuals and for their teams.
Climbing in a competition feels a very different to just recreational climbing. Having a judge observe is part of it I think but mainly it is the thought of losing the flash bonus, that you can't fall or just start again if you make a mistake. It is a different mentality. In that sense it is a real disadvantage to go first on a climb and quite useful to observe how others attempt the route. At least under these competition rules. There were plenty of nerves to get started, but I became more comfortable later on. The thrust of this competition was really to push yourself and try to climb the most difficult climbs you could do, not so much attempting to win, in and of itself.
In the recreational division I flashed every climb I attempted (that means that I completed the climb the first time I tried it) apart from one which I 'sent' (a contraction and bastardisation of ascended) on my third try. The scoring works by each route having a set amount of points, which you get if you climb the route, but only your top five contribute to your score. This competition didn't deduct points for falls, but there was a 10 point flash bonus (on top of 1000-4000 point scores for the climbs). The route which I found hard didn't end up contributing to my final score because there were five more I did with higher point scores contributing to my final score first. I think I should try the next difficulty up next time.
My Prize for winning the men's recreational division was a prAna cap (100% nylon) and a little tub of Climb On! skin repair ointment, for those fingers.
Peeps. Horrid horrid peeps. A faux mallow blight on taste buds, gastrointestinal tracts, and society. Whence the the demand for these abominations that are born in Bethlehem? A thorough analysis, but the people's craving goes unexplained.
My Brazilian housemate was suddenly recalled to Brazil, his scholarship attenuated amidst the global financial crisis. He will return eventually as a postdoc in the same lab but for now this unfortunate scenario will lead to the hunt for housemate in a very unfavourable time of the year. Not looking forward to that. However this departure coincides with it is also an excuse to have a party!
Basically the usual house party ingredients: friends, a lot of food and wine, and a bit of amateur folk singalong with the guitars but this time all with a sprinkling of Brazilian influence.
The Brazilian influence while assisted by caipirinhas was also infused by feijoada. This feijoada is a veritable pork explosion. Really the simplest of stews. It is suppossedly a 'slave food', made from the cheapest cuts of pork that can be found, usually ham hocks, plus a tail, ear, trotter and tongue. Despite these suggestion American interpretations tend to use kielbasa, bacon and other more pedestrian pork cuts often including some beef chuck steak as well. Almost every recipe insists on starting from dried beans, which is the only really time consuming part. Oh, don't forget the bay leaf. That is pretty much all there is to it. There are many interpretations available on the internets. They are all the basic thing of cooking the beans, browning the meat, adding meat to beans plus bay leaf then stewing for several hours at a low temperature. It is surprisingly tasty.
Hurry back Roberto.
