Today has been a very typical Sunday. It started out with some sleeping in, which means I sleep two hours later than normal and wake up on my own. Then I listen to books while messing around on the computer. The specifics for today were playing Starcraft 2 and listening to The Song of Ice and Fire, book 5. After that we went to the Farmer’s Market on California Ave. Today all the places were out, and we got a lot of really tasty stuff. I got some more of the spicy yuba strips. We got lots more of the Pumpking Bolani, and some of the taffy covered almonds. Stephanie got some more of the really tasty fresh strawberries. I of course got the customary Samosa. The Bolani guy might be starting to recognize us as one of his regulars, which is always nice. For some reason my phone has been starting itself up and playing the books on tape really loud. I think the pause button being on the home screen is the culprit. I should really get the screen replaced. The horseback riding was really nice, and I’m getting decent at the two point while trotting. I think one more lesson like this one and I’ll be able to get up to the cantor. I’m making slow progress, but it is steady.
I had a great time playing portal 2. It is just as funny as the first one, if not funnier. The mechanics of the game were fantastic. The gels make it much more full, especially when you add in the gel that allows portals on the surface.
I got the first set of results from 23 and me. The first set includes the traits and disease likelihoods. They were all very interesting and pretty accurate. It was really cool to see some of the things that they predicted.
Steph and I had dinner with Bo at Umami. Alexey, a guy bo met at the meteor presentation, met us there as well. I got the palo alto special, late nighter, and it was OK. The beer was really good, Brother Thelonias. It had a really rich and unique flavor, with no bitterness. The bike ride from work was really nice as well, it took about 45 minutes to get to Stanford, but it was a wonderful day.
Nick, Steph, and I went to Shezan for dinner today. We stopped by tea era beforehand because we got there 10 min early. Shezan opens at 5:30 not 5. I pointed out to Nick that there is a lunch buffet, and he things it would be great to meet up for lunch. I really just realized that I can meet people for lunch now that I am working in mountain view. I can even bike to lunch and bike back without too much issue.
We hiked black mountain today, which is the mountain that the PG&E trail is on. It also is the mountain that has the rancho san antonio space preserve. The hike went really well and we did it in a little over 4.5 hours. The top was really cold and in the clouds. The view wasn’t that great since it was in clouds, but it was really amazing.
I won with a score of 109 against Jullian, Stephanie, and Tina. I found that having the green things are the best way to handle the game. Super sheilds and super laser, a little bit of engine. The engines are usually useless, but you need some in order to avoid problems.
This book didn’t have nearly as much action as the previous ones. It was a lot more of the plotting and talking. There were some exciting moments with Brienne, but all the waring and excitement on the wall was missing. I was hoping that there would be more of the ‘crows’ since it was A Feast of Crows, but alas, that did not pan out. I am going to keep going with book 5 and see if that makes up for it. I hope we get more action and movement. This book had a lot more of the magic coming into the world, and winter has come. However, the magic is mainly hints. I am very interested in Aria and John Snow’s stories. The other stories going on are OK, with Brienne’s being the best of the remainder. I did like what came about with Queen Cercei. She was in such a good place, but all it took was the one slip. Since no one liked her there was no safety net should a single thing go wrong.
This was a fantastic book, although it is full of cliff hangers. The stories are so numerous that I was always wanting more of any given one when he would switch to another. We talked about it some on Sunday, but it would be great to have a timeline map of the characters’ movements so that you can understand what is going on in the story overall. I’m guessing the timeline doesn’t correspond directly to the chapters, as the storylines in cities happen much faster than those of sailing and traveling along the road. I’m looking forward to continuing onto the next book and getting to know more. John Snow and Aria are the stories I’m most interested in right now. Especially John Snow as that is where the real battle is and not just the diplomacy and lies. While the manipulation and cunning is fun to listen to I grow tired of it quickly. It is not what I am particularly good at.
It's an Exciting World 