Moving tomorrow

I'm all set for my move to Pennsylvania. I spent some of yesterday and most of today getting my stuff packed. Fortunately I can leave a lot of stuff down here to be picked up later. I plan to leave tomorrow around 9:30am. I'm sure I'll hit some bad traffic since everyone will be driving home from Thanksgiving, but there's not a whole lot I can do about that. Well, I'd better wrap this up and take down my computer so it's ready to go tomorrow morning.

Wizards lose 5 in a row

What is going on with the Wizards? I thought they had a pretty good team, and I was encouraged by the fact that they started the season with a 5-1 record. Now I see that they've lost 5 consecutive games, dropping their record to 5-6. Last night they played the Magic in Orlando and lost 91-83. Orlando was playing without Grant Hill and Steve Francis. In other words, this is not a good sign for the Wizards. Fortunately, there's still a lot of the season left to be played. It will be interesting to see if they can rebound from this losing streak, although since I'll soon be moving away from this area, I may end up following the 76ers more closely than the Wizards.

Ready to move to PA

I got word today that I need to report to my new job on Monday. I'm glad that all the preliminary work has been finalized. I'm looking forward to being back in the workforce. One of the first things I'll need to do when I get up to Pennsylvania is to find an apartment. Today I made reservations for a hotel for 2 weeks, so I should be okay temporarily. The hotel is in Bensalem, which is located just north of Philadelphia. My job is in Newtown, which I think is about 10 miles north of my hotel. The drive should not be bad at all.

My plan right now is to drive up to my hotel Sunday afternoon. I'll unload most of my stuff into the hotel, mainly just to get it out of my car. I can spend next week looking for an apartment, but I'm not in a big hurry. I can always continue to live at the hotel. In the meantime I'll get a start with Lockheed Martin and get the income flowing. It should be a very interesting experience.

Nalbandian stuns Federer in China

Yesterday was the final match of the Tennis Masters Cup, played in Shanghai. In a huge upset, David Nalbandian rallied from two sets down to defeat world number one Roger Federer. My TiVo was scheduled to record the match, but, of course, the time slot was only two and a half hours. So over half the match got cut off. Federer took the first two sets, but it was not easy. Both ended in tiebreaks, with the second set going 13-11. Nalbandian then won the next two sets, and the decisive fifth one went to another tiebreaker. This time Nalbandian was victorious, and the upset was complete.

Winning this event is a huge accomplishment for Nalbandian, but I think it's a shame that most of the world's best players were conspicuously absent. No Nadal, Roddick, Hewitt, Safin, or Agassi. It's a good thing Federer was able to play. Despite his loss in the final, it's been a dominating year for him. He's lost only four matches the entire year. I expect him to be back in full force at the Australian Open in January. It will be fun to watch.

JFK report

Yesterday was the big day -- the JFK 50 mile run. I am pleased to report that everything went well. I spent Friday night at a Super 8 in Hagerstown with my brother, my uncle, and my friend Brian. The race started at 7 AM, and Brian and I ran the entire first portion of paved road which leads to the Appalachian Trail. The rocks were treacherous, but we made it to the first aid station at Crampton's Gap by 8:33. I felt fine for the rest of the AT, and Brian and I rolled into Weverton at 10 AM. This was at mile 16. I picked up my water bottle from Brian's parents, who met us there, and I had a banana, and orange, and a sandwich. After that we crossed the railroad tracks and began the long C&O Canal towpath section of the course. We started with a generous run/walk mix and arrived at the aid station in Antietam at 12:40 PM. This was around mile 27, so by this point we were over halfway there. Once we made it to Shepherdstown at mile 30, we really started running long sections. We ran from mile 30 almost all the way to the mile 34 aid station. Same thing to Taylor's Landing at mile 38, where we arrived at 3:10 PM. We had passed my brother somewhere around mile 36. He told us that he had rolled his ankle numerous times on the rocks and thought he might have to walk it in. He ended up making a recovery and passed us again at the end of the towpath at mile 42. Brian and I exited the towpath before 4 PM. My goal was to break 11 hours, and at this point I knew I was in great shape to do it. The final 8 miles of road were torturous, but I survived and crossed the finish line at 5:45 PM, for a time of 10:45. My brother finished in 10:37, and Brian's time was 10:39. I am very pleased with my performance and look forward to putting myself through that torture again next year.

Good novel: The Plague

Currently I'm reading Albert Camus' The Plague, which I picked up at the library a few weeks ago. It is the story of an epidemic that sweeps the North African town of Oran. Before any person got sick, rats emerged from the sewers and died in the streets. Folks in the town thought this was strange, but soon it stopped, presumably because all the rats were dead. Then the people started to die. It didn't take long for doctors to determine that it was the plague, and soon hundreds of people were dying each day. Oran is forcibly shut off from the outside world. Those who are inside are not allowed out, and those who are outside are not allowed in. The bulk of the novel tells how the people of Oran dealt with their unfortunate situation. Some have been separated from their loved ones. One man has committed a crime and is glad that the plague has taken attention away from him. Another plans a daring escape.

I am not yet done reading The Plague, but I should finish in the next day or so. It is a fascinating account, and it gets my recommendation.

New job

After more than 4 months of unemployment, it appears I'll finally be starting a new job soon. I've been hired to work as a contractor for Lockheed Martin, located north of Philadelphia. They want me to design cables for satellites. Right now there are still a few details to be worked out, so I'm not sure when exactly I'll be starting. I suspect it will either be this Monday or the next one. I'd like to wait until after Thanksgiving, mainly because it will give me time to find a place to live, but also because I don't want to drive up to Philadelphia the day after running the JFK. I think I'll probably stay in a hotel up there for a week so I can get acquainted with the place before signing a lease. I'd also like to get a start on my job. Whatever I decide to do, I'm really looking forward to working and living in a new area.

Federer wins, Agassi loses in Shanghai

The Tennis Masters Cup got underway yesterday in China, and so far the event has not gone well. Andy Roddick withdrew because of an injury. Lleyton Hewitt withdrew so he could be with his wife when his baby is born. Marat Safin, who won the Australian Open this year, withdrew due to injury. Rafael Nadal withdrew at the last minute with an injury. Andre Agassi played an anemic match today, losing to Nikolay Davydenko in straight sets. It turns out he is still having back problems, and he pulled out of the event after his match. The only bright spot is that Roger Federer is still playing. He defeated David Nalbandian yesterday in 3 sets. It was actually a pretty close match. It was aired live on ESPN2, and I recorded it on TiVo. I didn't get around to watching it until today. Federer was actually down a break in the third set but managed to break back and secure the victory.

The ultra is a harsh mistress

Only one week left until the JFK 50 mile run. I'll be participating in the event for the second year in a row along with my friend Brian, my brother, and my uncle. This will not only be my second JFK, but also my second ultramarathon of any kind. I am very excited to see how I do. I hope I'm able to learn from the mistakes I made last year.

The 2004 JFK was a brand new experience for me. My uncle had run the race 25 times before, and my brother ran with him a few times. So I decided to sign up. I also convinced my roommate Brian to tag along. Brian and I decided to run together since it was unchartered territory for us. The first three miles were all uphill. Then we hit the Appalachian Trail. The AT is not a flat dirt path, as I'd expected, but rather a collection of rocks strewn all over the place. I had a lot of trouble running that section. Brian got ahead of me but stopped to wait at the 9-mile aid station. The rocks continued until the 16-mile mark, where we hop on the C&O Canal towpath. The terrain there was soft and flat, so I had no trouble with footing. At some point Brian and I began alternating walking and running. By the 28-mile aid station, I felt really bad but continued to press on. I made it only a couple of more miles before violently cramping up. I couldn't run more than a few steps before being crippled by charley-horses. I later realized that this was probably caused by dehydration and/or a lack of sodium. I'd been drinking water and Gatorade at every aid station, but it apparently was not enough. I was urinating very infrequently, and when I did it was a very dark color -- another sign that I needed more fluids. At the time, however, I was more concerned about finishing in the allotted 12 hours, so I didn't stay too long at any one aid station. I also ate nothing except some Power Gel, and I didn't feel like I'd be able to keep down any solid food. In retrospect, I should have tried. Around mile 30 I told Brian to go ahead without me since I was unsure if I would finish. The final miles on the towpath were incredibly lonely. It got dark and started to rain, and I couldn't see any other runners ahead of me or behind me. During this stretch I probably covered an average of 4 miles an hour. When I finally got to the end of the towpath section, which is the 42-mile mark, it was about 4:45 PM. I knew I had to cover the final 8 miles in only a little over 2 hours, and I didn't know if I could do it. The volunteers at the aid station gave me a reflective vest, and I trudged on. While on the road, I discovered that I could "shuffle" the downhills without cramping, so I may have saved a little bit of time by doing that. The roads were dark and seemingly deserted. The rain had subsided by that point, but there were plenty of puddles. At some point my watch died, which made me even more apprehensive about finishing on time. Every now and then a runner would pass me and give me some encouragement, which helped a lot. I knew that I would cross the finish line; I just didn't know if I'd make it on time. When I passed the final aid station 1.5 miles from the finish line, I knew I was getting close. I spotted my brother at a gas station along the final stretch, and he ran along with me. He told me I had over 15 minutes to finish, and at that point I knew I would make it. Right before the finish line, Brian's dad ran out and gave me a high-five. I crossed the finish line with a time of 11:46. The sense of accomplishment I felt made the torturous trek all worthwhile.

I'll get the chance to repeat that experience next Saturday. This time I hope I can stay hydrated and nourished so I can avoid cramps. I can't wait.

Wizards no longer undefeated

The Wizards suffered their first loss of the season last night to the Clippers. That's right, the Clippers. I'm not sure how, but LA's perennial second-best team has amassed a 4-1 record. Could this be the year they actually have a good team? As for the Wizards, I think they're looking good. Last night's game was a relatively close affair with a final score of 102-97. They're still first in their division. I realize it's early in the season, but it's nice to see them playing well. Next they take on Seattle at home on Friday night.

Roddick withdraws from Masters Cup

I read in the news today that Andy Roddick has officially withdrawn from the Masters Cup. Apparently he has been having some back spasms, and he doesn't think he'll be well enough to play this weekend. I also discovered that Lleyton Hewitt had also withdrawn from the event, which means that 2 of the top 4 players in the world won't be competing. It should still be fun to watch, though. I'd love to see Federer play Nadal in the final. They haven't played each other since the French Open, and, in my opinion, Nadal had the advantage due to the clay surface. A match on a different surface will be interesting to say the least.

Colts finally get a win in Foxborough

Last night's football game was a rematch of last season's playoff game where the Patriots defeated the Colts. This time, however, Peyton Manning was able to lead his team to victory. The Colts now have a record of 8-0 and are the only remaining undefeated team in the league. They still have quite a few challenging games left, though. The Bengals, Steelers, and Seahawks are all on their schedule. I definitely do not expect them to go 16-0, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them end up at 14-2 or possibly even 15-1.

The Patriots have been somewhat of a disappointment. Currently at 4-4, it does not look like they'll repeat as Superbowl champs. Of course, no team has ever won 3 consecutive Superbowls. One thing in New England's favor is that they play their best football in the post-season. However, it will take a huge effort for them to defeat both Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. The rest of the season remains to be played, though, so things may change.

Berdych wins title in Paris

The final ATP Masters Series tennis tournament of the year was played last week in Paris, France. Neither Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal was in the draw, so I had hoped that Andy Roddick could win the title. As the top seed, he did relatively well, but he lost in the semis to the big Croat Ivan Ljubicic. In the final match, played yesterday, Ljubicic lost a 5-setter to Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. I remember watching Berdych play Andre Agassi at the US Open this year, and he definitely has some talent. I admit, though, I didn't expect him to win yesterday.

The tennis season for this calendar year is now almost over. All that remains is the Tennis Masters Cup, to be played this weekend in Shanghai, China. Ljubicic grabbed the last spot in the tournament with his performance last week. I expect Federer to win the title again this year.

The Traveling Wilburys

Earlier today while listening to the radio, I heard a song whose name I didn't know, but I was pretty sure the group was the Traveling Wilburys. After some checking on the internet, I discovered that the song I'd heard was called "End of the Line". I also found some info on the Traveling Wilburys which I hadn't known before.

The Traveling Wilburys were a musical group comprised of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and Bob Dylan. Harrison, of course, was formerly a member of the Beatles, and Lynne was a founding member of the Electric Light Orchestra, a.k.a. ELO. The group was initially formed to record a B-side to one of Harrison's singles. They enjoyed the experience so much that they decided to record an entire album together. They accomplished this (both writing and recording songs) in just 10 days, and the album was released in October 1988, titled Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. Sadly, Roy Orbison died in December of that year. The remaining four created one more album, titled Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3, symbolically skipping Volume 2 in honor of Orbison.

Music from the Traveling Wilburys can still be heard occasionally on classic rock stations.

Pain in the shoulder

Just when my running seemed to be going well, I developed some more bizarre problems. First of all, I began having pain in my right shoulder. On my roommate's suggestion, I stopped my daily dose of push-ups. I really don't think that is the cause of the problem, but I guess it can't hurt to stop. I also carried my water bottle in my left hand during my long run this afternoon. It was really awkward. My shoulder still hurts even as I type, so I guess there is no magic solution. Aside from the shoulder problem, I also developed a pain in the arch of my right foot. I may be able to attribute that one to my new shoes. Whatever the case, I sincerely hope this body of mine can remain in good health, at least until after November 19th.

Steelers nip Ravens in MNF

I expected the Steelers to win last night's football game, but I admit I was surprised that the game was as close as it was. I think it was tied 10-10 when I fell asleep. I conked out before 10:30, so I probably missed the entire second half. I understand the Ravens gave Pittsburgh a scare when they got three field goals in the 4th quarter, taking a 19-17 lead. Unfortunately, the Steelers had one more score left in them, and Jeff Reed kicked a field goal with 1:36 remaining to put the nail in the coffin. Nevertheless, I was impressed with Baltimore's performance and hope they continue to play this well the rest of the season.