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I did a trail run this weekend - the Bulldog Trail Run. 15.7 miles (25km) of trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. It was very hot. The scenery was fabulous. Since the mountain we ran up was one of the tall ones, we were able to see the surrounding mountains on one side and the Pacific on the other. I saw Catalina peeking above the clouds. Even though I had did a similar run previously, I had forgotten the beauty of the rock formations in the park. You get a glimpse of it as you enter the park by car. Don't be deceived though by this pretty-ness. It was a crazy race! We had to climb a 2,528 ft mountain, cross a stream, and run in a rocky, dried-up stream-bed. At several points, the trail narrows to one person wide. I felt like lemmings blindly following the person in front, barely able to see the step in front of me. Don't forget the small, nasty hill at the end that killed a couple of guys that I passed. I'm glad I didn't even consider doing the 50k, they do two loops!

This was the first race since my son Terran was born. It's been difficult getting my training in with school and caring for an infant. At times, I felt like running has become a very selfish thing. Since I come home tired from running, I don't have the energy level required to help my wife take care of the baby. It has been tough, but I might still continue some running because I think my stamina has been improving. At the same time, I have this huge push to finish up my dissertation before the year is up. Between training and the baby, some work days have shrunk to 4 hrs and lunch fits it there too! But, now the race is over and I won't have to take off two hours early on my training days. And, I have been leaving for work earlier and earlier as Terran sleeps more through the night (and so does my wife!) and morning childcare is shrinking.

Recently finished Harry Potter 6: Half Blood Prince. BEWARE: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR HP6. Skip this blog if you have not read HP6 yet.



For those of you have read HP6, you know what happened. We learn about double timing Snape, about Dumbledore's fate, and about Tom Riddle (Voldemort) - his past and horcruxes. Because of what happens, Harry decides to not go to school to focus full time on locating the horcruxes. Here are my predictions for the next installment.

** Hogwarts will NOT be closed.

** Harry will be coerced back to school, along with Ron and Hermione, for more education.
- I can't see how an inexperienced wizard like Harry can ever get through Voldemort's magical defences without more education. It took Dumbledore, a very wise wizard, to figure out the cave location, entrance, boat, and potion. Harry can't even apparate!

** Voldemort will not be killed in book 7.
- this will become a longer series since it'll take time to track down the other horcruxes and educate Harry. It might become like other comic heros whose stories go on and on....

** Dumbledore will return.
- Since this is the magical world, I'd expect something similar to what happened to Gandalf in Lord of the Rings.

To see if these predictions are right, I guess we'll have to wait patiently for the next installment. Until then, keep reading!

# posted by Patrick @ 7:23 AM 0 comments

Now that it has been three full weeks with my new baby, Junko and I feel more confident in anticipating or interpreting many of his crys. We started out learning on the job by ourselves for the first week of his life. Next came my parents for a one week visit to help out since Terran came early and Junko's mom wasn't supposed to arrive to help for several more weeks. I don't know if Junko knows this: Anticipating that my Mom and Dad might give counter-productive assistance in caretaking of the baby, I told them not to do anything when the baby crys. Junko or I know what we are doing and will take care of him. I am sure that Junko was worried that my Mom would complain about our (her) child care or about her as a Mom. My parents quietly observed my request and (at least) I felt good about their unspoken trust of our parenting skills. I really appreciated their help in doing the laundry, getting groceries, cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning. But not in childcare. That was OUR job!

Now the roles have essentially reversed with the arrival of Junko's Mom and her sister Wako. Every morning, during my Daddy and Me time (~6:30-9am), it is my responsibility to feed Terran and look after him. Junko gets rest after her night shift. It is my greatest fear that Junko's Mom (or even Junko herself) comes out to 'help' with the crying baby. Unsolicited help makes one feel incompetent. (Mental note: this can be applied to many other areas in life.) Not only that, but many of her 'rules' have already been installed (from keeping Terran's little head straight while carrying him to sleeping with his face up instead of to the side). To add to my feeling of things quickly getting out of my (our) control, her toys and clothes are put into immediate circulation. So, now, Terran is wearing clothes that I don't think have been washed 'prior to first use' and his bed is teaming of new friends (toys) he isn't capable of playing with.... <sigh>..... I wonder if I should go work at school than work from home. Better yet, run to and from school to get my exercise too. ^o^ My preferred mode of relaxation.... <grin>