Since Old school, bare-feet and gangsters, on Friday I decided to get off at Finchley road and run the rest of the way to work. As it turns out, running the route backwards (from Finchley instead of to Finchley) wasn't that tricky to navigate. The problem was that I was kind of hoping that my route would not be inaccessible at a certain point, specifically here while trying to get onto the canal route:
So that meant I actually had to find another route and well, I got lost.
I whipped out my trusty google maps and it told me exactly where to go and so I went and finally ended up at work at around 9:15 (I had battery woes on route which I'll talk about later...).
While at work I did work stuff and after work, I decided to go to the gym. So, after I got off the train at Uxbridge, I ran down to the gym and spent a good hour or so working out. I did shoulders. One of the nice things about working out late is that people actually tend to disappear around 19:30 which is great. I think I might do this evening workout routine more. I realised part way into my run to the gym that I'd left my card/cash in my apartment so I'd have to run back too (usually If I run in, I take the bus back). I figured that I didn't care that much that I'd have to run back and in actual fact, it would force me to run back. Nothing like having no money to take the bus - run! Anyway, I ran back pretty knackered but I was surprised to find my legs holding up remarkably well after all the running I'd done that day.
I ordered a new iPhone 5S battery as mine seems to become less reliable - halfway through my run to work, it just cut out and indicated that it needed charging. When I got into the office, I tried to switch it on(wishful thinking) and it actually turned on and reported to be a 64%. Dodgy. Anyway, this has happened to me a few times already and always at the most inopportune moments. So that's what prompted that. I also found that my watch strap broke so I ordered a set of cheap silicone replacements straps - 3 in fact. I figured that as my parents also have the same watch as me (I bought those last time), I'd get them a set of replacements too. I'm seeing them in just over 2 weeks now(Flu, fishes and flip-fops). These new straps have this cool little fastener which is basically a nob which hooks into the other side of the strap. no need or a clasp(which is actually the part of the strap that broke). These are the replacements (see the clasp mechanism)
As usual(thankfully) after a day of heavy exercise I slept very well and as it was Saturday today, I thought I'd have to get some studying in. I tried but I was so tired that I had to put myself back into bed because otherwise I'd just be zombified. Reading academic papers as a zombie is not fun. So after an hour or so of extra snoozing, I started again.
The paper I was reading about interestingly enough was co-authored by an author I'd just finished reading recently - Mindset by Carol Dwecker(Remind me of a cartoon I used to watch called Dark Wing Duck who's sort of like Batman but is a duck, "Lets get dangerous!"). I also watched a TED video of her(Dwecker). It was kinda long paper and I had Seabiscuit playing in the background so I was half-listening and half-wanting to finish. As soon As I did, I decided to go to the gym again. There is nothing quite like doing something you really like doing after reading something that at times you feel you just have to read and then get out of the way. The current paper is a very psychological one. Tomorrow I'll do the Software Engineering coursework, which unfortunately is looking a lot like the psychological module ie lots of research-type reporting writing. I think I'll know the ins and outs of the Software Development Lifecycle and management after these modules are done.
I'm very much looking forward to my computer games technology course starting in Sept time. Registration opens up in the summer but I'm already started to read up on my real-time programming facts and I've booked my spot. I started recently with a new book on Direct 12 and I'm currently investing time in developing my c++ library which currently only on has this in it: Measuring the duration of a function in C++. with a sprinkling of 3d classes in it. This course will be pretty hardcore so I'm going to get myself prepared.
Oh, and I got a new mouse. That is newsworthy because I use a mouse every single day and I need a back button and well, my mouse packed up. So I ordered this one and its great. It came yesterday and I got to use it for a good 30 mins before I was home time and as I said I wanted to go to the gym.
I took my Vo2 Max reading and it's at 60, I don't seem to get past that, I'll have to work out a lot more for that(Another cool feature of the 235).
And for good measure, here are my 80's childhood cartoon intros: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy3RTFFhSYs (He-man. Gummy bears, Teenage mutant ninja turtles, BraveStar, The Mysterious Cities of the gold, Duckula, Ducktails - the rest of them I didn't really know).