Doubts

There are days when I think I'm just not cut out for this. I've had a lot of those days lately. I just can't seem to get my head around this analysis and computing stuff. I guess I just don't spend enough time on it. But I don't like it, don't get it, and am not interested in it. I suppose it's no wonder that I can't figure it out when I don't spend extra time reading miles of TWiki pages and code.....I just can't make myself concentrate. I don't know what it is. I never used to have problems learning things. How the heck am I going to do an analysis, write, and defend a thesis all in the next 2-3 years????

Shifting plans

Well, we ended up shifting the Superbowl party to Sunday afternoon, because some people couldn't come on Thursday and the weather was not so fun to be walking around in. Then I had plans to go for my second attempt at skiing on Saturday with a friend who is teaching me. Unfortunately Laure (the friend) sprained her ankle yesterday playing tennis at lunch time, and as she had already injured it not too long ago the doctors put her in a removable cast for a week. So that kind of knocked out the skiing plans. :-) But thats ok, I hope she recovers quickly and maybe we can go next weekend. But that will leave my Saturday free to clean my apartment and make the gumbo for Sunday. And to practice my clarinet.

Why do I need to practice my clarinet? Because I have decided to join the Stadtmusik Baden, which is the local concert band. I think I might be crazy to join a concert band where rehearsals are held in German and when I haven't played my clarinet regularly for 4 years! But it should be fun, and I've been assured by a couple people that the language won't be much of a problem. My first rehearsal is next Wednesday night, and the music is being mailed to me today, so I should get it tomorrow. That gives me a few days to practice and try to build up my embouchure as much as I can before jumping into a 2 hour rehearsal! Yikes.

Yesterday was my first trip to the gym in 2010. I decided to get into things slowly and just did about half an hour on the bike. (and went 17.3km!) I may or may not go again this evening...kind of depends on how I'm feeling. Between Christmas, just being back in LA, and my trips to Argentina and Hamburg, I definitely gained back the weight I'd managed to lose before Christmas. But thats ok, I'll get it off again.

Superbowl party planning and missing LA

So I definitely stayed up to watch the Superbowl on Sunday, which with the time difference was from 12:30-4:00am (so I guess technically on Monday). But I also recorded it so that I could have a bunch of the people from lab over to watch and teach them about real football! I also decided I'll make a gumbo, since it's supposed to get cold and snow again. And really, what goes better with football than gumbo?

Then thinking about making a gumbo makes me miss home! Good food, good music, friendly people, and nice hot and humid weather. So now I'm listening to some good ol' cajun music. And this evening when I get home from work I'm planning to make my roux while singing and danging along to L'Angelus!! (I love them!)

Conflicting wants...

I'm caught between the desire to not spend CHF 100 on a haircut here in Switzerland every few months and the desire for my hair to look nice. Also caught between the fact that my hair probably looks better long, and the fact that I love how easy it is to have it shorter. Tough decisions...if only Whoorl would pick me for Hair Thursday!!!