One of my favorite times of the day, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, is the last 10 minutes of my workout session. This may sound totally retarded, but whatever. I endearingly refer to those 10 minutes as, “nap-time.” After 30-90 minutes of running, then a 60 minute workout, I get to just lay there on a massage table, with ice packs on my knees. It is so amazing.

I’m not one of those guys who works out with the blackberry in-hand. So gym-time is already kind of sacrosanct, in the sense that I’m “off the grid,” as it were. So, I totally love those last 10 minutes, where I can just let my mind drift, and veg-out, before showering and getting back to the inevitable inbox buildup that has accumulated.

Today particularly, I was realizing how much I appreciate my 10 minutes of solitude. During nap-time, today, I got to thinking how much I appreciate the small things generally, when things get particularly hectic in my life. For example, I love the re-designed tab on Orbit gum. It is now so much easier to close the flap.

I love it when Reagan sneaks some cookies into my backpack, in the morning, while I’m in the shower. I love it when I come down the last set of subway stairs right as the train is pulling up. I really think that is the kind of stuff that keeps me going. Anyway, sorry to get all pensive. I just thought I would share.

This morning as I was going through the turnstiles, entering the subway, I noticed the little digital display read “No Tokens.” I must have read this about 1000 times before today. But for some reason, this morning, I decided to think about it for a minute. Why in the world does the MTA feel like they still have to inform riders that the turnstiles no longer accept tokens? People haven’t been able to use Tokens in the subway since 2003. Is the MTA afraid that someone is going to awake from a coma and try to get on the subway with a token, then sue when they can’t because they didn’t realize that tokens were no longer used?

Another observation/pet peeve, witnessed this morning, was the guy walking along in front of me chatting it up on his phone. With the “hands free” piece installed, he held the microphone portion right in front of his mouth. How long have cell phones been around now? Has that poor sap still not figured out that the mic on his hands-free wire will pick up noises on the other side of the street, let alone the words coming out of his mouth, if he lets it dangle (like it is designed to do) 6 inches from his face? Doesn’t he realize that by holding that thing against his bottom lip, he is not only muffling his words, but probably blowing out the eardrums of the person on the other end? Also, if you are going to go through the trouble of holding something next to your face, why use “hands free” at all? Doesn’t it kind of defeat the purpose?

Maybe I’m totally missing a key factor in both of these issues, that is preventing me from understanding the logic. Can someone explain it to me?

Earlier this week, I came across this quote by John Adams, in the book I’m currenty reading. It was taken from one of his writings contemplating the post British rule, state of the Colonies. He wrote:

We may please ourselves with the prospect of free and popular governments. But there is a great danger that those governments will not make us happy. God grant they may. But I fear that in every assembly, members will obtain an influence by noise, not sense. By meanness, not greatness. By ignorance, not leaning. By contracted hears, not large souls.

I could not agree more. But I really appreciate the fact that he has the character to follow up the above statement with this observation:

There must be decency and respect, and veneration introduced for persons of authority of every rank, or we are undone. In a popular government, this is our only way.

The second part is a lot more difficult to practice, even if you agree with it.  I will try to reflect on it, every time that I start to get annoyed about the guy in the governors mansion. The guy who nobody voted for, wearing jogging shorts, with his feet up on the desk.

I love the recent HSBC ads like the one above. I really like the way that these ads distill down the idea of subjectivity. I tend to get so wrapped up in my opinion, that sometimes I feel like there is no other way to see things. Maybe part of that is NYC rubbing off on me. Maybe it is just my “type A” personallity shining through. I have a tendency to tongue lash drivers who I don’t like, and public figures that irk me (Lil’ Wayne). But I have tried to force myself lately, to take the high road (or the low road, depending on where you stand, Ha!), and be sympathetic to the idea that there are 2 (or more) sides to everything. So, next time you hear me talking about how so-and-so is super lame, or about how such-and-such, is the crappiest thing ever, feel free to remind me that I am an HSBC customer, and that I’m trying to be more open minded.

I came home last night, and these bulletins were taped to the front door of the building, as well as to the wall next to the mailboxes. The funny part is that Reagan has been asking for a guinea pig for a while. I think that it is partly a joke. Anyway, the she wants a black one, if she gets one. But I thought it was super thoughtful of Fluffy’s soon to be former owner, to print the notice in English and Spanish. I also thought that the photo was a pretty impressive shot. You can tell that Fluffy is a pretty content little guy/girl. I hope that he/she is able to find equal satisfaction with a new owner.

A little premature, I know. But for me, as the end of the year approaches, I tend to start looking back and trying to pickout, what, if anything, I have accomplished over the past year. I get annoyed when people decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving (even more annoying before Halloween). But I guess that I fall into that camp of offenders this year. Not as much, or actually at all, on the part of premature decorating decorating. But as far as the “look back and reflect on the past year” department goes, I’m guilty. I’m not really sure why I’m finding myself to be so pensive, so early this year. Maybe because it is general election year. Maybe because half of the friends I worked with, I no longer work with. Whatever the reason is, it hasn’t been a disappoining thing, which is nice. I feel like I accomplished a lot this year. Not as much as I had hoped. But when is that ever the case? As soon as I am able to organize my thoughts, and it is a little bit more timely, I will probably share some of them. In the meantime, here is a
pre-Obamastockmarketcrashmassivelayoff picture of Reagan and I, taken last December.

Since the days when my teacher stopped forcing me to use a pencil (circa 5th grade), pens have been my writing utensil of choice. With the exception of a few times like scantron exams and the bar exam, I have pretty much used pens exclusively. Even when sketching, I tend to use pens. Anyway, I noticed that at least two of the lawyers I work with (who I have much respect for), use a pencil for virtually everything that deals with writing. Even their markups (I personally favor the red marker for this) are done with graphite, rathen than ink. My first reaction to this was, “how smudgy and gross.” But this week, I have started to think that there may be something to it. The individuals I mentioned above are extremely meticulous and proficient with their work. If anything, I probably have more reason to use pencil than they do. I NEVER get ANYTHING right the first time. So I have decided to implement this subtle change into my routine, to see how it plays out. So far, I have experienced all of the drawbacks that gave me the aversion in the first place (smudging, eraser crumbs, dull point…), but overall, I think that it may be helping me with organization. It is so nice to be able to erase something, rather than strike it out and draw an arrow to the margin etc.. Maybe it seems like I’m grappling here, but these are desperate times. If something as small as a writing utensil might help me get an edge on my work product, why not give it a shot? I’ll keep you posted.

When Sarah and Jessie were here visiting, we were able to get in a little bit o’ nerd talk. Jessie is a legitimate web design dude. We were talking about how great Adobe CS3 is. I used it extensively when I was working on the design of the genealogy websites for my extended family, but I haven’t really done much with it for a long time. Tonight, since I had some spare time, I decided to goof off with it a bit. I gave a minor facelift to the breinholts.com/jakenreag.com homepage, as well as my lil ol’ blog page. I still haven’t decided if the animation is fun, or just creepy. I made an animated gif from a bunch of webcam stills that Reagan and I took last Feb, right after we installed this webcam. I thought that the super low resolution made kind of a cool effect. Anyway, I kind of had fun doing it and blah blah blah. I’m going to bed now.

Halloween time means candy. Where I work, many of the secretaries like to get festive with their work areas, during the holidays. Since Halloween is approaching, one need only take a brief lap of the office, to encounter the various candy-laden bowls that have been placed out for the picking. Yesterday, I swiped a tootsie pop as I was walking past one of the secretary stations. I didn’t recognize the wrapper, but assumed that it was some sort of Halloween variation of the cherry flavored tootsie. Nope. It was a new flavor. I had scored a pomegranate flavored tootsie pop without even knowing it. It was almost as delicious as the jelly that my grandfather used to make from the pomegranates he grew. I was so intrigued by the new flavor that I researched a bit more. Upon doing so, I discovered that there have actually been three new additions to the tootsie pop flavor choices. Aside from the one I already mentioned, watermelon and blue raspberry are also now available. Tootsie is actually seeking feedback regarding the new flavors. You can contribute by going here. As tasty as the new pomegranate flavor was, I was kind of bummed that I didn’t get a star on my wrapper.

Too bad every day isn’t a bank holiday, if this is what happens.