Hallowe'en 2018

I had a guest speaker come speak to my students about robotics today, which made my day different than any other day. After work, there was a small meeting with the field advisor of my upcoming student teacher (who'll be starting next week).

I skipped working out today to get work done. I spent my evening organizing a field trip for next week, mark assignments online and finish my professional growth plan. Throughout the entire evening, we only had one person ring our doorbell. Unfortunately, we don't/haven't given out candy for ages. Our street doesn't seem to have a lot of young kids anymore, so it's mostly quiet down our street.

Other than that, a relatively peaceful Hallowe'en.

That was cheaper than I expected...

Since work was the same old, I don't see the point in dwelling on it much. As for the gym, it was leg day today. Unlike last week, my wrist was starting to feel pain once again... I wonder if it was from my shoulder session yesterday. The first warm up squat was difficult since my shoulders were feeling tight. As time went on though, the pain in my wrist got better and better, until I wasn't able to feel any discomfort. Five sets of 225 lbs went by relatively well. I upped the weight to 245 lbs and had 3 sets of 3.

Lunging afterwards was extremely tough. 35 lbs in each hand was a lot tougher than what I thought it would be. I had to cheat and use my wrist straps for the vast majority of my lunging session.

After the gym, I stopped by the nearby Superstore to pick up candy for tomorrow. I was expecting exorbitant prices since it isn't Hallowe'en yet -- however it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. A box of 120 chocolates was about $12; granted that the second box you buy would be $20.

Though I teach more than 120 students this year, but fortunately they were selling boxes of 50 for around $7. 

3D Printer Session

Work was normal besides a PD session after work to refresh how to use the 3D printer. We had a presenter present to us before (same person today), so most of it was familiar. After work, it was straight to the gym for shoulder and arm day.

Same old, same old.

Perhaps it's time to return back to short story writing.

Finally Fixed

Like the past two months, karate was the normal affair. Starting today, we'll be practicing katas daily to prepare for the upcoming kata tournament in December. It's a startlingly reminder that the end of the year is fast upon us.

I spent the first bit of the afternoon finishing up a quiz for my grade 7s tomorrow and a set of notes. It took longer than I expected, but it's probably due to another chore I've been putting aside for over a month now.

Essentially, I had to fix a small part on my car that really takes only five minutes to do. I've been putting it off since I'm just extremely lazy. In fact, I think it only took 3 minutes for me to finish, which is a first because it usually takes more time for me to complete tasks than what I would initially plan.

Other than that, I got in some Tomb Raider (amazing game so far) and continued catching up with the animation and gaming unit on Code.org. Coding definitely is not a walk in the park. I had to refer to the solution guide they had for teachers at times when I couldn't debug my work properly.

Onto the last week of October!

Grand Opening at Evolve

My morning started early due to a massage appointment at 9 AM. Afterwards, I headed straight to the gym for leg day. It was the grand opening at Evolve, meaning that there were a lot of people that I haven't seen before. Squats were feeling rough: 10 sets of 3 reps of 225 lbs. Deadlift felt relatively good -- I was able to max out at 135 kg, with 140 kg being doable, though with super crappy form. After my work out, I sampled the BBQ burgers they had to celebrate their grand opening.

They were amazing burgers and I took two for myself. After the meal, I went to look at homes once again. Just out of curiosity, I went to the community of Conrich. The houses there were huge! I think it was the first time I saw a house with an eight-car garage (four on either side).

Other than that, we spent the rest of the day with a friend who has been away from Calgary for a while.

And that's Saturday! Time to start Tomb Raider!

Bacteria Day Friday

I didn't have any quizzes planned for today, though I had a lab planned for my grade 8s. On Wednesday, my two junior high science colleagues and I plated agar onto petri dishes for students to grow bacteria. For the most part, students were being creative on picking areas to swab, which was a nice surprise.

Other than that, I left work early since I finished my work ahead of time for once!

Bench day at the gym went relatively well. 5 sets of 3 reps of 100 kg is starting to feel easy. I maxed out at 105 kg, which is a PR if I recall correctly. Once again, the difference equipment can make when it comes to lifting!

Also, I managed to finish all optional quests on MHW to unlock the final optional quest. Perhaps I'll find time tomorrow to play it and unlock the chroma color skin option for armor sets.

Dramatic Day

It might have been something in the air, but three individuals in my homeroom bursted into tears during class today. Extremely odd, for I never had that many students cry in one day before.

Other than that, there were a few meetings at the end of the day before staying back to get work done. I then headed down to the dollar store to grab supplies for tomorrow's lab.

I skipped the gym today to get work done. I caught up with marking and checking/answering emails on my other work account. Exhausted, but it's almost the weekend!

It's been a long day

No prep day, combined with students coming in at lunch to complete a spelling test/working on their project/robotic league meeting, which is then combined with preparing agar plates and a survey meant I was busy from 8-5:30. I'm sure others have had similar workdays, though it has been a while since I had a no break day. Fortunately, I had enough common sense to not be lecturing all day, which would have killed my vocal cords.

I arrived late at the gym, so I had to rush through back day. Pull ups are getting easier when it comes to 10 sets of six reps. The same goes for wide grip pull ups -- maybe the creatine is working... Once again, it's hard to believe that it's already Wednesday. Just two more days to go before the weekend!

No pain in a while!

I think I mentioned it before, but I'm a strong believer in four days of work with three days for the weekend. Longer, but less days equal more productivity (despite going to work yesterday, I just feel more energized for the week!) Work went relatively well today and I believe I'm back on track to finish in time for their final exams in June.

The photocopier at the end of the day was having issues with the stapler being jammed. It took me a while, but I managed to remove the jammed up staples, though later realize that there was a hinge which could have shorten the amount of time I spent trying to remove the jammed staples.

As for the gym, it was leg day. I'm not sure why, but today was the first day in ages that I had no pain while squatting. Usually, my knees would feel tight for the first couple of warm up sets before becoming warm. Today, however, I had no issues with my warm up! Six sets of 5 reps of 225 lbs also felt relatively easy, which is encouraging. =) I didn't end up doing much after, besides a number of laps for lunges with dumbbells. The dumbbells at evolve seem to have thicker/larger grip, meaning it's harder for me to hold onto them as long. It is, though, a great way to increase my grip strength so two birds down with one stone.

PD Day Monday

Today marked PD day -- I went in at my usual time to get marking done before our first PD session started for the day. We had a couple sessions on inclusive ed and classroom management. In between sessions, I managed to squeeze in a bit of work. Never had I felt so productive during a PD day!

I rushed on home once 4:00 hit to purchase Tomb Raider from the Steam store. It was 85% off! Despite being an old game (made in 2013), you can't go wrong with a $5.99 Game of the Year (essentially the game with a bunch of bonus content).

After work, it was shoulders and arms at the gym. I should find an app or something to keep track of my progress so I know what weight/sets I'm doing when it comes to accessory work. It's great to see that Evolve is getting some new faces.

Busy busy...

Time seemed to pass by extremely in karate today-- maybe due to being tired from last night. After class, I wanted to try out Gong Cha, since I haven't gotten the chance to do so. The line up was extremely busy; granted it was during the noon rush hour. Not wanting to wait, we walked back to my car. I'll probably have to stop by when it's -50 and two feet of snow on the ground. 

After a quick nap, I went straight to marking. Putting a show on Netflix (Dangerous Animals in Asia) wasn't my brightest idea, though it did make marking less dull. Fortunately, tomorrow is PD day, so I should have some time to finish marking the last half of my last class (if that makes any sense). 

Arguably the Best Wings in Town

Leg day Saturday was busier than usual at the gym, which is good in my books. Either way, there was enough space to grab a rack and squat. Sets of four reps of 225 lbs is doable with my wrist and wider grip now. I'll need to work on my core since it definitely doesn't feel like I have support. I also got the chance to try the sleds there, and my glutes feel like they're going to cramp up anytime now.

After working out, we went out for wings at Mug Shotz, a bar/pub down in Ogden. This is my second time there, and I have to say that their wings are probably the best in town. I have a soft spot for their dill pickle flavored wings.

After coming home early evening, I didn't feel like marking, despite the fact that I should have marked. There's always tomorrow, but not something I'm looking forward to tomorrow with the amount I have this weekend. I did, however got a couple lessons on animations done, which meant the day wasn't fully wasted.

Maybe It's Because I'm Growing Old...

Perhaps it was sheer luck, for I doubt I'm clever enough to have it planned that all of my classes (besides options) had a quiz today. It made my Friday a relatively easy day, in which I was able to give my voice a break.

Getting home took a lot longer than usual due to an accident on Deerfoot. Traffic was crawling from Glenmore, and the side routes I escaped onto were jammed pack with traffic as people had the same idea.

At home, I snacked before heading to the gym. All of a sudden though, I felt a strong wave of nausea, that I don't recall feeling in a long time. It got bad, that I started to feel my saliva thicken in my mouth -- which usually meant that I was near the regurgitation point. After a few minutes, standing by my toilet, it went away and I felt fine once again... Maybe it's because I'm growing old...

The gym was relatively good, and quiet. Bench felt relatively good, though I made sure not to injure myself. 100 kgs for 3 reps (down to two for the last two sets) is starting to become easier. It's kinda sad thinking that my bench weight is catching up to my squat weight. =/

Got my flu shot in

Normal day at work, besides a meeting after school. Otherwise I went to go play badminton at Sunridge Badminton Centre. It has been almost a month since I last went I believe? Seems busier than what I recall.

Other than that, one more day before the weekend. I'm out of things to write for today...

Oh, I got my flu shot in!

Cells, cells, and more cells!

Yesterday and today marked project/presentations from my grade 8s. I've been using the cell project as a means of them to learn the different organelles within an animal/plant cell. Each year, it's been the typical sphere with clay, but the current grade 8s have upped their game. There was a wide variety of baked goods, using a canvas as a base, to making it out of felt. There were still Styrofoam spheres and clay, but the quality seemed to be a lot better than usual.

Other than that, I went to the flu clinic, but it was closed when I got there. There was no notice stating why it was closed, which annoyed me ever so slightly. I saw a couple of people trying to enter when I got back to my car, with no luck as well. =/

Back day at the gym, though it was awfully quiet at the gym. I think there was about... 10 people in total? It's nice working out in peace and quiet, but I'm sure it's not great for business...

Namsan

Work was ordinary today. My student teacher came to visit in the afternoon before he starts in a few weeks time. Other than that, I got to try out a new restaurant. Food there was pretty decent.

Keeping it short because it is way past my bed time. I was playing MHW to complete my daily tasks after getting back from dinner.

"Excuse me, I'll make you a deal of a life time"

Day Three at my school is my toughest day since it's my no prep day. Despite kids being rowdier than usual, my day went pretty well. The one good thing about no prep day is that work seems to go by at hyper speed.

I left work early to prepare for my webinar on climate change. As I was waiting for the light to change at an intersection, I heard someone to the left of me trying to get my attention.

"Excuse me". As I looked at him, he motioned for me to roll down my window. Seeing that it was an elderly gentleman, I assumed that he was going to complain that my car was too obnoxious, or something among the like. I had a neutral expression on my face as I rolled down my window.

"I'll make you a deal of a life time. You can say no of course" were the words (or somewhat close to the words) that he said. With a quizzical look on my face now, I remained silent.

"Do you want to trade cars with me?" In all honesty, I was stunned since no one ever said this to me before. Once again, I drive a pretty normal car, so I don't often attract this kind of attention, especially from people near his age.

I laughed and he complimented on my car's color. With that, the lights turned green and I proceeded onward with my day. I wish I could have thought of something witty to respond back... maybe something like how he wouldn't want my gas bills for my car is a gas guzzler...

Other than that, gym day was shoulder day. I should have done some arms as well, but I was in a rush to get home to play MHW. I'm still in awe with the graphics of the game. 

Glad I made the plunge

With my failed attempts of squeezing more performance from my EVGA GTX 760 SC 2 GB graphics card, I've been researching for a replacement card. I've been on the fence for the past few days, since it's not a necessary upgrade. I'm able to play MHW on low with about high 30s/low 40s FPS. There's minimal lag, and graphics are equivalent to playing on a 3DS.

Among the research I've done, I narrowed it down to a specific Nvidia cards (I've heard that AMD's Vega series is pretty respectable, but I wasn't sure if my PSU would be able to handle a card efficiently since I cheaped out on a PSU). Both were beyond what was needed for MHW and any other future games that I have in mind to play once I have some spare time (ie: Winter Break). After combing different sites to price match with the store I go to purchase computer parts and peripherals (ie: Memory Express), I finally found some great sales on Amazon. However, whether the computer gods are honing in on me, the sale immediately disappeared when I was showing it to others. I went and researched some more, and decided it was probably worth upgrading to an even STRONGER card. There was a sale on Amazon, in which there was a price difference of $100 (meaning that Memory would price match and beat by 10% = $110 saving), but lo-and-behold... it doubled in price after I showed it to my brother.

The card in mind was a MSI variant. Seeing that I tried EVGA, and my brother tinkered with EVGA, Asus and Gigabyte, I thought I would try a new company. Due to the lost sale on Amazon, and the lack of stock at the NE location, I ended up going for the Gigabyte variant of the Nvidia card that they had on sale at Memory (almost 30% off their regular price). They also had 10 cards left, so I didn't have to comb around the city for a store with stock.

Installation was relatively straight forward, and the drivers were installed quite quickly. My computer did crash while installing a driver, but it didn't seem like there was any harm done. Strange thing though, was that Nvidia Geforce Experience suggested that even with this new card, I should play MHW on the lowest settings... which irked me since my cpu is still relatively quick (i7-4770K... not overclocked yet, but it's on the verge of being so).

I benchmarked my new card and found that it aligned with what other people were getting with my setup. I did a quick stress test, knowing that it's pointless since it's running on stock settings. I then proceeded to open up MHW, ignore Nvidia's suggestions, and set everything on the highest setting.

And boy, am I glad that I made the plunge. The game seems to have so much detail that I've been missing out on by playing it on low. FPS on 1080p resolution was averaging 90+, far more than what my monitor can handle. Either way, I was awestruck by how nice everything looked, which brought back memories of when I upgraded from playing SC 2 on a Macbook Pro on low settings to my current rig and playing it on ultra.

Though it is time to save up, for I spent quite a bit on my computer this month! This new gpu though should be future proof and transferable if I decided to go for a new build in the near future!

A Most Peculiar Day

I had a chiro appointment booked for this morning to check up on my wrist. My chiro tired a form of therapy, that I haven't experienced before, which involved stimulating a nerve to react to pain differently. I forgot what it was called, and he did warn me that the studies are mixed, but it was definitely a most peculiar sensation. It started with normal pulses that you get, but then for five seconds, my forearm would contract as a stead current is sent through my arm. The first five minutes or so was bearable, though the last five minutes was starting to make my forearm feel sore. So far though, no major issues when I squatted later in the day.

As I left chiro, I was driving out of downtown to head back home. Down 3rd street, turning onto 5th ave, a young man in a car was trying to get my attention by furiously waving at me. I looked at him, thinking it may be a former student of mine, and nodded and waved back, while giving him a thumbs up. Later did I realize, as he drove on ahead, that he was driving the same exact car that I was driving.

Now, my car is a normal, common car. I probably see at least 2-3 variants of my car a day. What makes my car a bit special, is its color. It's the first time I've ever been that close to a car that looked exactly like mine, while I'm driving in my own car! We even both had wind visors, which I haven't seen on any other car that is the exact same as mine. What a peculiar day indeed.

Before heading to the gym, I headed down to Popeye's Supplement store in the NE to purchase creatine and protein. Since it was customer appreciation day, they were giving out free swag. I managed to get a free gym bag filled with sample products (none that I really take), a shaker bottle (I was short on water bottles for the past couple months, but now I have two new ones!), a magazine and a t-shirt. I don't often shop here, since I've been buying protein at Costco, but it's nice to get free stuff!

The gym was relatively quiet, save a session at one corner of the gym that seemed to be talking about powerlifting. The presenter was the hugest guy I've ever seen in real life. He was extremely thick, and you could probably tell that he is a professional powerlifter. I never seen such muscle before. He was lifting some weights during their hour lunch break, though nothing back-breaking for him.

After the gym, it was back home. I continued trying to overclock my graphics card, while trying to find a higher clock speed for the memory onboard my graphics card. Unfortunately, after 4-5 hours of stress testing multiple settings, I am unable to find a stable clock speed for memory. I did manage to finish the little marking that I had though!

The difference equipment can make

My grade 8s had quizzes today, making the day relatively straight forward. The only challenge I really have at the moment is with my robotic classes, but I should be able to apply what I'm learning now to the second and third semester robotic classes!

Chest day went realtively well, granted that the benches are a lot better than the ones at the old gym. The Eleiko benches are wider, has more grip and adjustable in terms of height. With the rough knurling on the bars, I was able to hit a PR of 5 sets of 100 kg (220 lbs) for 2-3 reps. The difficult part was incline benching -- there's no dedicated bench for incline. Our makeshift bench with a squat work works, but felt a little sketchy. Other than that, the gym was slightly busier than usual with a lot of power lifters today lifting weights that I normally do not see at my old gym. Once again, it's inspiring to see people lift such heavy weight.

Work Day Thursday

I skipped exercising today to catch up on some work. I managed to slog through modifying notes, marking assignments on Google Classroom and got in some Code.org material. Sprites are definitely a lot harder than inserting images onto HTML, but animation is sure fun!

Time really flies while doing work, which I guess makes the day go by faster. It's almost Friday already.

I had something else in mind that I wanted to write about, but it has escaped my mind...

Middle of the Week Already?

Second official work day of the week, which makes it hard to believe that it's hump day already. Personally, I wish school was a four day week instead of five, and have kids in school (and us working) for 10 hours a day instead of 8. That extra weekend day would boost productivity (if I remember the research correctly).

Anyways, work was the same old. Evolve was busier today than it was yesterday, but with... 10 possible locations to do pull ups, there wasn't a waiting issue.

Perhaps its time to return to writing short stories again. Life has returned back to the daily routine with thoughts of summer long gone at this point.

Missed the Hook

The drive to work wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I managed to get to work with plenty of time to spare, which allowed me to get ready for the day. Work was the typical affair, though I had to discipline one of my classes during the lab since they were screaming and chasing one another (a few anyways).

After work, it was off to the gym. I'm starting to get used to squatting with a wide grip, but it does add more strain to my core and shoulders (where the bar sits). I have no issues with slipping anymore, which allows me to concentrate on pushing the bar up (and focusing on my feet). After completing sets of 225 lbs, I cooled down with 135 lbs. On my first cool down set, I missed the rack hook (not sure what they're called) on one side. With the belief that I was racked probably, I dropped the bar down. Of course, the left side (which I missed the hook) fell a lot lower than normal. I reacted by trying to save the bar, but the plate was sliding dangerously close to the edge of the bar. Fortunately my brother was there to save my butt, but it served as a reminder of being mindful when racking.

Other than that, it was a decent session with squats and deadlifts. The knurling on a bar really makes a difference in grip strength. Having proper grip makes it easier to lift heavier weight.

Thanksgiving 2018

I had every intention to hit the gym at 8 AM just so I can do other tasks throughout the day. I ended up waking up at 9. After getting a haircut, I headed to the gym. It was busier than Saturday, though there was tons of space to get my workout done.

After getting home, I finished my marking, entered the marks and proceeded to progress myself in Code.org. Besides programming, I helped replace one of our bidets with a new one. Installation wasn't the simplest, but it was easier than installing the cooler yesterday!

I'm not sure where the time has gone, but I swear I only put in about two hours of MHW.

And that marks my Thanksgiving 2018. I haven't celebrated it for many years, but I'm still thankful for everything I have.

My graphics card may be a dud...

Karate was the usual, with nothing extraordinary taking place. After getting home for lunch, I proceeded to install my Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU cooler (what a mouthful) onto my computer with my dad's assistance. Taking off the stock CPU cooler was relatively simple, but putting on the new cooler took longer than I expected. It took me a while to place the bottom bracket properly (had some difficulty snaking it into the heatsink) and landing it exactly on top of the four holes. After putting it together, I went to start up my computer, but it turned out that it wasn't working. It had troubles POSTing.

It turned out that I forgot to install plastic protectors/shields on some screws that were apparently short-circuiting the board. I had to remove everything and start from scratch. Putting it on the second time was a lot quicker (probably around 15 minutes in total compared to 40 minutes the first time).

Fortunately it worked after installing those plastic... thingys.. so off to overclocking! I started with overclocking the GPU, because apparently that's the easiest way to learn how to OC parts (besides monitors... can't be easier than pressing a button on a monitor). With the help of a guide, I downloaded the necessary programs to start the process. However, my graphics card did not come anywhere near what other people were getting in terms of OC'd numbers. GPU core clock maxes that people were getting were around 14%. My card was struggling when I upped the numbers by 5%...

It might be something that I'm doing wrong, but after playing around for a few hours, I gave up for the day. Reading that it may be due to a crappy power supply unit (I have a Corsair CX750M, which is pretty budget), I tried experimenting with just voltages going into my GPU. There were no crashes or artifacts with that, so I think it's safe to say that my PSU is able to supply ample power.

There's always tomorrow to figure things out!

Evolve Strength

I woke up early on Saturday to go to work to drop off some supplies that I normally wouldn't be able to fit in my car. Fortunately, my mom has a SUV, so that was able to carry my item. Due to clear roads, I was able to make it to work in like 20 minutes, drop off my package, and get back home within an hour.

Very soon after, I drove out to Evolve Strength Sunridge (I'll abbreviate it as ESS), the new gym that is relatively close to my house. ESS is a gym that caters to power lifters, if I remember correctly, though it has a whole range of equipment. ESS has about 20 places to squat (12 dedicated for squat with 8 more stations that can be used for squatting), 8 dedicated Olympic lifting platforms (if I remember correctly), 5 deadlifting platforms (smaller than the OL platforms), 5 flat benches (that can be used for squatting), and a decent amount of other machines. There's also a ton of dumbbells that go up to 150 lbs! Also, all the bars there are Eleiko bars, meaning that they're top notch. It's nice to lift with proper knurling!

Saturday was their grand opening, though it was quiet when I got there. I got a squat rack to myself and squatted for a while, before moving onto accessory exercises. Most of the clientele there seemed to be power lifters due to their build and ability to lift extremely heavy weights. It's a humbling experience to be beside such strong individuals!

Benching on a Eleiko bench and bar was heaven-sent -- being able to adjust the height of the bar and having a slight decline made it relatively easy to hit a PR.

All in all, an amazing gym and cheaper than my last gym! True, there's no swimming pool, gymnasium or other amenities, but they weren't things that I used in the first place. 

After working out, I got home and proceeded to change my oil. I don't drive a lot, but it has been nearly 6 months since my last oil change. Once that was all said and done, I did some research before calling it a night with MHW.

No marking done, but there's always tomorrow!

An End of an Era

Friday marked an end of an era for me. Back in 2014, I was considerably overweight, and out of shape. Somehow, after Mexico 2014, a friend and I decided to head back to the gym. With the recently opened (I believe the Genesis Centre opened up in 2011?) YMCA near us, we opted to get membership over there.

I recall my first session at the gym, trying the foam rollers and learning how to squat and deadlift. Squatting the bar was tough, and I didn't bother to attempt deadlifting just the bar. As time went on, along with an extreme diet, I started to shed pounds and feel a lot healthier. Numbers for the main lifts (squat, deadlift and bench) went up and I was satisfied with my physique. Throughout the four years as well though, I went through a number of minor injuries that have set me back, but nothing permanent thus far. Lifting, for the most part, has allowed me to get my mind off work and socialize with fellow gym mates.

With the opening of a new gym nearby, and with more equipment that I would use, it was time to say goodbye to the YMCA. It was four years of growth, both physically and mentally for me. I worked out in high school, but being young, my main focus was just arms and chest (like most other young people). YMCA was the first gym where I actually "worked out".

Saturday should be exciting as I try out the new gym!

Freight Trains...

I left early for work once again, hoping to arrive early to get some work done. At the rate I was going, I should have reached work with 10 to 15 minutes before 8.

However, two freight trains delayed my commute by at least 20 minutes. I understand that these trains ship items for our consumption and it's crucial for our everyday lives... but do they really need to travel during rush hour. Fortunately, it's not a common occurrence.

Otherwise, work was pretty much the same as everyday. A bit more hectic, but it's probably due to the weather.

Leg day was... lackluster. I'm unable to keep my wrist straight when I squat with my normal grip and position (low bar). I swapped back to high bar with a wider grip to try and keep my wrist more neutral. That'll mean I need to do more core exercises to keep myself from tipping forward. One reason why I swapped over to low bar was due to a weak core.

In more exciting news, it's the autumn festival in MHW! It's nice to see things looking more festive, especially the Celestial Pursuit (aka Gathering Hub). Bad news being that limited bounties are now daily... thus having the need/want to spend more time on MHW to complete them in time...

Goodbye sleep for the next couple weeks.

Slushy Roads

Due to being late yesterday, I left for work half an hour earlier than I have in the past couple months. The morning didn't start off well since the lego kit I was carrying to my car spilled over slightly -- I had to spend a couple minute picking up the loose pieces.

Otherwise, the drive was relatively smooth, though slow. Majority of the students were at school, which is always nice to see.

At the end of the day, the warm weather and sun made the roads slightly slushy. In the span of 24 hours, roads went from treacherous to normal (but slightly wet).

Back day was extremely ordinary and boring. Only difference was me having difficulty doing five pull ups per set.

A regular day, but once again, nothing wrong with an ordinary day.

Record Breaking Snow Day

Waking up to nearly 20 cm of snow in front of my house made me feel like Mother Nature forget about autumn. (Apparently some areas got 40 cm).  Instead of going to work, I had PD today that started at 9. What normally should take about 30 minutes to get to on a normal day would, what I thought at the time, take about an hour.

It took nearly two hours for me to reach my destination. It didn't help that I was stuck on a section of Glenmore since a car broke down in one lane. The one km stretch to get onto Crowchild took nearly 40 minutes to get through. My left calf was starting to ache, along with my left quad due to all the start and stop traffic. I always felt sorry for my clutch from slipping it to inch forward in traffic.

I wasn't sure if I was able to park in the staff parking lot of the school where PD took place, so I parked about a block away. Since the snow fall was fresh, the neighborhood roads were piled high with snow. If I had to hazard a guess, there was at least 10 cm of snow. Fortunately, AWD ensured that I never got stuck (though I lost my makeshift undercarriage hole cover).

Being an hour late for PD meant that I had no idea what was going on for the first 10 minutes, until I managed to figure out where everyone was at during break time. I wasn't the latest one at PD, which made me didn't feel as bad. The vast majority of the PD session was focused around Markdown Language, which seemed relatively straight forward to learn. The session itself was harder than the other coding PD sessions I attended. It serves as a humbling reminder of how some of my weaker students feel in class when they don't understand what's going on in class.

We were let out extremely early due to traffic conditions. Going on was a lot better, with the trip only taking about 50 minutes. However, I was cringing with the way how some people drive in averse weather. I'm not claiming to be a great driver, but when it's slippery outside, tailgating and cutting dangerously is not advised. Also, if you're going to drive a lot slower than everyone, please stay out of the left lane, unless you need to make an upcoming left turn. Also, if all the traffic lights go out, treat it as a 4-way stop instead of just going whenever you feel like...

I planned to skip my workout today since I didn't want to deal with the crappy conditions. Shoveling heavy wet snow served as my 40 minute workout. Arms, shoulders and cardio: what more can you ask.

After marking online questions, I spent time playing MHW. We finally killed tempered Jho, though with the help of two randoms. Fortunately, they were pretty decent!

And off to sleep so I'm able to wake up early tomorrow. It's going to be crappy tomorrow as well in the morning...

Back to Two

I cannot recall if I mentioned it before, but I gave away one of my monitors to my dad when he took my brother's old computer. I've been back to one monitor for about a month now, but it has been hard to adjust to using just one monitor for work.

As of today, I was able to set up another second monitor (an old monitor that my brother didn't need anymore) and boy does it feel good to be back to two. I just feel more productive when I have more monitors to look at!

Since it took a while for me to set up everything, I only had an hour at the gym to pump out as many arm exercises as I can. I should start to reincorporate shoulders back to arm day to make life more interesting.