Author: Eugene

Posted on

Countdown: i5k-3

Last week I started adding a 30 minute jog on the treadmill at about a 8:30/km pace in the evenings to help build up my endurance. Last week was full of early mornings and late days, so I didn’t get out running nearly as much as I would have liked, but the treadmill workouts helped preserve what little conditioning I’ve built up so far.

This morning’s run felt pretty good, and I can definitely feel my conditioning and endurance improving. The first couple hundred meters or so still feel rough, but once I get out past the ponds, I start getting into a nice stride. The left knee protests though, which is starting to become a somewhat limiting factor in how far I jog before stopping.

Temp: 15°C
Distance: 2.4 km/1.5 miles
Time: ~20 min
Pace: ~13:00

Posted on

On the road to a PhD

Got the word that Clemson’s Bioengineering department will take me on as a part time PhD student! Yay!

Now to put in an application and sign up to take the GRE.

Posted on

Blend: So long and thanks for all the sammiches

Heard someone mention Blend had some for sale signs up in their window, so I stopped by this morning to see. Sadly it seems their revival attempt with the new menu was not successful and there are indeed two large “Business for sale” signs in the window.

That’s too bad. Back to the cafeteria I suppose.

Posted on

Green deja vu

All this “trendy” green/environmental stuff going on these days is giving me a serious case of deja vu. In fact there are a lot of things that I was doing back home that have only recently (in the last 5-7 years or so) become more mainstream in the US (debit card purchases come to mind).

Safeway was where I did most of my grocery shopping when I was living on my own back home. It was conveniently located between school and my apartment within easy walking distance. I carried my groceries home white nylon fabric bags with big red Safeway logos on them and only got the plastic bags whenever I had too many groceries or forgot to bring my bags. Got away from reusable bags when I moved to the US because I just got funny looks from the cashiers when I gave them my bags. Now I’m back to using them again and not getting funny looks anymore.

My early childhood was spent in the 70s, and throughout elementary school conservation was the big message. All the light switches had stickers on them reminding people to turn out the lights to save electricity. Walk to save gas, take the stairs, reuse things, etc. Then the 80s came around and most everybody seemed to throw it all out the window and continued to do so in the 90s and well into 2000. Now things seem to have come full circle and conservation is being encouraged again.

Funny how things always seem to repeating themselves.

Posted on

Bai bai Blend again?

Blend’s reopening seems to have been short-lived. Their doors have been closed and the restaurant dark all of last week.

So is this the end for Blend?