Content-type: text/html Ray Manning

Monday, February 5, 2006 9:00 AM

Boulder and Bathrooms


Monday and Tuesday are days at work full of meetings and discussions to get us out of some difficulties. I make my points strongly and professionally and they are accepted all the way up to the vice president at the meetings. But as a result of all of the meetings I don't get other productive models and simulations built and exercised.

Monday and Tuesday are very productive days with the weights as I decide it is finally time, after 9 weeks of high repetition workouts, to go to moderate repetitions and heavier weights. I get some incredible pumps from the workouts though I know that I will be sore on Wednesday from the workload.

Each of these nights is characterized by some reading in bed before the lights go out and very deep sleep each night. I certainly wake up a few times each night, but I'm able to observe the silence of the neighborhood, the warmth under the covers, and turn and go right back to sleep.

On Tuesday morning before work I stop in at the Winchel's to pick up some blueberry muffins. As I get my muffins I look back in line and see a ChiChi. As I walk out I smile at the ChiChi and she gives me the biggest, most sincere smile that I can imagine. And I almost follow my advice ("Don't look directly into the eyes of a ChiChi"), but not quite.

On Wednesday I want to get out for a run before work but I am tired and lazy and do not. Thus I pack some workout clothes to try and squeeze in a workout at the hotel. Early in the afternoon I head to Los Angeles International airport directly from work to catch a flight to Boulder, Colorado for more meetings.

I get in to Denver, get the rental car, and drive the 40 miles to Boulder. The hotel has a small workout facility that is being ignored, so I put in 35 minutes of aerobics with a heart rate above 150 bpm and call it a day.

The Thursday meeting is sorta productive. I think that there could have been more agreements made, but it will have to suffice for now. All of us rush back to Denver airport and catch our respective flights home. I get home at about 8 pm and before unpacking I go lift weights to work off stress and to counter all of the sitting and flying that was done today. And then I go through the mail and go to sleep a bit late (for me).

I realize that there are at least three things that makle me happy to be home:
1) I get to sleep in my own bed with thin pillows and a quiet environment. (The Hilton hotel had a very very noisy heating system that kept waking me up and had huge pillows that put a strain on the back as one sleeps.)
2) I get to drive a World Rally-based car with hundreds and hundreds of horsepower on tap (rather than the compact Ford Focus that I had in Boulder).
3) I get to ride the motorcycle again.

Friday is a productive day at Northrop Grumman and with the weights after work. I get some reading done and handle phone calls from Person T_U, Person C_T, and Joe. Joe is going out, but I am staying in tonight.

On Saturday I get up early to do the laundry and get out for the aquarium ride. It's just a bit foggy this morning, but I need to ride now or I won't get the ride in later. Just after 9 am the bathroom contractor comes by with his two helpers and they start demolishing the hallway and closet for the master bathroom. I'm a bit shocked as I check on them throughout the day on the good progress that they make. Near noon, while the bathroom guys go at it, I take the hedge trimmers and cut the junipers way back and then spray for spider mites. Just after 4 pm the bathroom contractor is finished for the day and we walk around the project discussing the progress, the next steps, potential holdups, and other factors. The master bathroom is now down to the studs and there is new drywall in the hallway, but they have also added the framing for the seat in the shower, the vents, and other rough construction.

Later on Saturday I get out for a 35 minute walk and catch up on some reading. Person C_T is feeling a bit under the weather, so he goes home after work to rest. I'm in bed before 9 pm to read and catch up on sleep.

On Sunday I get up early and go for a 40 minute walk as I buy the newspaper. After reading some of the paper I get out for the loop ride on the road bicycle. As I'm headed towards home on the Los Angeles river trail I hear a snap - and by now I know what it is. When I get home I inspect the rear wheel and see at least two broekn spokes. Thus after a shower I take the rear wheel to the bicycle shop for repair and tell them, "It only has to last another year or so because I should get a new bicycle then". After doing some grocery shopping and taking out the trash, I lay out in the sun for a while before the Super Bowl starts.

I also return a phone call from Person M_C to see if he has moved back to Los Angeles from San Francisco yet. And he's confused as to what he is doing. He still doesn't know if he is going to return here or stay up there. Person M_C is lamenting that he didn't find love in Los Angeles and he didn't find it in San Francisco either. So I tell Person M_C, "Love is way over-rated. Just go for the skin-to-skin contact". And both of us have a good laugh over this.