A mix of everything

So, it's been a long while since I really updated you guys about my new job. Well, not really new since I interned here last summer, and pretty much working on the same role, with many of the same people, and many more new people. The group has grown so much that the size it almost twice it used to be. Really glad that the company is doing well, and I'm on this train.

Anyway, it had been an exciting 4 weeks so far. Many night-outs with the actuarial group, (I guess not many people can imagine that... given that the perception of actuaries are dry and nerdy), but hey, not this group.

Also, in my second week, we had an Olympic game thing, which I got really badly injured. How badly, well, a bruised forehead due to someone running full speed at me while playing dodgeball; a gashed lip, resulted from someone running into me (again) while I was catching a ball while playing kickball and a sore-ankle, from my foot catching too much ground while playing kickball. It took me a good 4 day to fully recovered from the injuries, the worst being the gashed lip, as the cut in my inner lip developed into an ulcer, which, well, made it painful to eat.

Then, on the following Monday, I took my dad to the airport. After 2 months in the States, he's heading back home. Before he came, I wondered how the two of us will be, given that I had not been home for more than 2 years now, closing up on 3. But, it had been great. Traveling with my dad and spending so much time with him doing everything. And, not having to think about what to eat... :P and to have dinner ready on the table everyday by the time I got back from work. All these things. Really want to thank him and my mom for all their sacrifices.

So, it's almost 2 weeks, since dad left for home. I'm surviving and well. Just that I had been having dinner later now, instead of 7, it's 8.30pm. Instead of 2 meat dishes and 1 vegetable dish, I have 1 meat dish and 1 vegetable, and more leftovers. But hey, it's all good.

Running. Somehow, I found a new gush of energy in me to run more lately. Much more. I did 38 miles the other week, with a long 10-mile run. Even though the speed wasn't that impressive, averaging 9-minute mile, I did feel pretty good at the end of the run, and could have ran few more miles to make it a half-marathon. But I think I will do that today. I really hope that with all these training, I will do well in my first marathon, Falmouth Dunkin Donuts Marathon (sorta like an oxymoron there), on October 26th. I hope that I will complete it under 4 hours, hopefully, under 3 hours, 44 minutes and 52 seconds... why that time, so that I can beat Bush.

http://completerunning.com/archives/2007/06/18/famous-celebrity-marathon-runners/

That's rather a tall order, as to run a marathon within that time, I need to run a pace of less than 8:35 minute/mile. I can run 10-mile at this pace. Not sure if I can sustain if for the entire 26.2 mile course. Also, I started doing some interval workout, which is meant to speed-up my running, so, let's see how that will go. Also, I'd been running with my new iPod shuffle, since I won't be able to run with headphones in the marathon, I might need to find a new method to pace myself. But, the Falmouth marathon has one of the most beautiful sceneries for marathon, hopefully, that will help.

http://www.capecodmarathon.com

Next weekend, it's July 4th weekend, and because my uncle and aunt are in Richmond, VA, I'll be driving there (again), and to make it a more worthwhile trip, I'm taking Thursday off, so, it will be a 4-day weekend for me! But, it's about 9-hour drive each way. So, there's a lot of driving.

And, yesterday, I took my car for a good maintenance, expecting a pretty high bill, and they surprised my high-expectation. The damage - $800+. Well, it will be good for awhile. A long while I hope.