Whoever says there's nothing to do in Albany just hasn't looked hard enough. After grabbing some brochures from my coffee shop yesterday morning, I found at least three different outdoor concerts that were going on. Now of course, I am from Watertown and so my idea of "fun and exciting" is surely different from most people's, but I ended up going to one of the concerts with three of my SU friends that are down here in Albany and I think it's safe to say we had a great time. It was a local rock/blues band and they had a food joint right next door that made a mean cheeseburger.
Yesterday was also exciting in the fact that I discovered that the building that I work in has a locker room on the first floor, complete with showers (a fact that I'm sure was additionally exciting to my cubicle-mate). It now makes running during lunch a lot easier. Now if they only had a washer and dryer here, I'd never have to leave.
And finally, I've put together a temporary schedule of races that I'm planning on doing this summer, culminating with the fulfillment of one of my goals: running a half-marathon.
July 4th - Coincidentally enough, called the "Firecracker 4," a 4 miler up in Saratoga Springs
July 12th - "The Boilermaker," a 15K (9.3 mi) road race in Utica
August 8th - "Camp Chingachgook Half-Marathon," a (surprise) half-marathon run along Lake George
Until next time.
Au revoir,
Justin
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Fast Times in Albany, NY
So today I tried out something that I've wanted to do for awhile: run during my lunch break. There's actually a really nice trail that runs along the Hudson right in the backyard of my office building here in downtown Albany, so I put in a couple miles running along there. There's actually supposed to be a big celebration this weekend recognizing the 400th anniversary of Hudson sailing up this river and "discovering" this area (I use the quotations because Native Americans inhabited this area for hundreds of years prior) and a full-size replica of the original ship that Henry Hudson sailed is going to pass right by my building, I think. You can see the ship and find out more information here: http://www.halfmoon.mus.ny.us/.
Also, I passed by a gathering mass of people rallying on the steps of the Capitol here, protesting the power struggle that is going on here in Albany. It's being reported here: http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/top_stories/474866/march-on-albany/?RegionCookie=12. I walked by there this morning at 8:30AM and they were already setting up for a rally that was supposed to begin at noon. During my run they were in the midst of a speech and flanked on all sides by police, cameramen, and passersby. Exciting times here in Albany. I just wish that the circumstances weren't so chaotic.
Until next time.
Au revoir,
Justin
Monday, June 15, 2009
Summer 2009
So I've begun to compile a short bucket list of things that I would like to do this summer. I'm sure I'll add to it, but to start off...
1. Go to Saratoga to see a horse race.
2. Check out the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown (I've been before to see Nolan Ryan get inducted, but I've never been in the Hall!)
3. LEARN FRENCH (at least conversational)
4. Make a Coldstone ice cream with EVERY flavor of ice cream.
5. Run a half-marathon competitively.
6. Go to a major league baseball game.
7. See Hair on Broadway.
8. Go out to Cape Cod with firecracker.
9. Get a score of 10,000 or higher on Brick Breaker
10. Update this blog AT LEAST once a week.
While I might have already labored many (alright hundreds) of hours attempting to obtain that coveted score of 10,000 in Brick Breaker, I think it's safe to say that #5 on my list, running a half marathon competitively, will require the most time and effort. I've been running on a regular basis now for well over two years, but 13.1 miles is a lot different than my daily 5K. It's going to require me to eat a little healthier (but the fruit gushers are STAYING) and more importantly, run consistently with a structured regimen. If anyone has any advice as to good websites for running training schedules, I'm all ears. I've got a couple, but I'd like to hear from one that has actually worked for someone. As I said, I JUST started this running schedule, but have already begun to plan my runs on days even when I work both jobs, leaving me busy from 8:30AM - 11:00PM. (I'll run up those grueling downtown Albany hills during lunch)
Saturday - 12.6 mi
Sunday - Strength Training
Monday - 7.6 mi and Strength Training
I'll be the first to admit, my runs so far have been too long. Most every training schedule I've seen advises against running the full 13.1 miles before the actual race (the furthest runs that I've seen suggested is a 10 mile run the weekend before the race). I don't know if I completely agree with that, I think it's necessary to get a feel for the length and how your body will respond to it, pace yourself, etc. but I do think that my Saturday run was too long. At this rate, it's easy to peak too early and be stale when I actually run the race later in the summer.
I'll be sure to update my bucket list with additions/hopeful subtractions as I complete my goals. Until then.
Au revoir,
Justin
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Bonjour, je ne parle pas très bien francais.
One of the many milestones of any abroad experience is jumping through all of the bureaucratic hoops to gain access to the country. Well on Friday, I must have improved my vertical leap by at least 8 inches with all of the jumping that I had to do. First off, in this technologically-driven world dominated by e-mail and internet, the French consulate still requires you to travel IN PERSON to your nearest consulate. With mine being NYC, that meant a 3 hour bus ride and a place to stay. Thankfully, I have a good friend who lives right in Manhattan and so I decided to make a nice weekend trip to the city.
After a bit of bushwhacking through Central Park, and a long wait outside of the consulate in the rain sans umbrella, I finally was allowed into the consulate to wait in, you guessed it, another line. The silence of the office was interrupted only by what I assumed to be French curse words and enraged tones, as time after time people were being DENIED their visa because they forgot to make a copy of a form. So there I stand, forms in hand, sweat beginning to form on my brow, hoping that I hadn't forgotten to make a copy of that attestation or proof of student status. Getting to the front of the line, I was horrified to learn that I had the WRONG form. After a few scary moments of being afraid that I was going to be turned away and forced to return at a later date, I was told that I just had to fill out a separate form...that was completely in French. If you've read this blog, you're well aware that I am not at all familiar with the language (don't remind me) and thankfully received a translation soon thereafter. The rest of the visa application process went smoothly, except that I learned that I have to return AGAIN sometime between now and my departure date just to pick up my processed application! Nice to meet you too, France.
Anyways, the rest of my weekend was spent being a tourist. Getting overpriced cannolis in Little Italy, seeing art in the Chelsea district, walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, going on a tri-borough run, walking through SoHo, eating M&M's at the Hershey store, and seeing the new pedestrian Times Square (an AHA moment followed when I found out it was named such because the New York Times building used to be there) all left me with a very Holden Caulfield-like weekend. It was a great time, but its nice to be back and stationary in one place for more than 8 hours.
As for this upcoming week, I've just got a lot of work (I'm interning at the Department of Environmental Conservation's Office of Climate Change and working part-time at Coldstone Ice Cream) and then a New York State Habitat for Humanity conference on Saturday. I'll be sure to report on how that goes. Until then.
Au revoir,
Justin
After a bit of bushwhacking through Central Park, and a long wait outside of the consulate in the rain sans umbrella, I finally was allowed into the consulate to wait in, you guessed it, another line. The silence of the office was interrupted only by what I assumed to be French curse words and enraged tones, as time after time people were being DENIED their visa because they forgot to make a copy of a form. So there I stand, forms in hand, sweat beginning to form on my brow, hoping that I hadn't forgotten to make a copy of that attestation or proof of student status. Getting to the front of the line, I was horrified to learn that I had the WRONG form. After a few scary moments of being afraid that I was going to be turned away and forced to return at a later date, I was told that I just had to fill out a separate form...that was completely in French. If you've read this blog, you're well aware that I am not at all familiar with the language (don't remind me) and thankfully received a translation soon thereafter. The rest of the visa application process went smoothly, except that I learned that I have to return AGAIN sometime between now and my departure date just to pick up my processed application! Nice to meet you too, France.
Anyways, the rest of my weekend was spent being a tourist. Getting overpriced cannolis in Little Italy, seeing art in the Chelsea district, walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, going on a tri-borough run, walking through SoHo, eating M&M's at the Hershey store, and seeing the new pedestrian Times Square (an AHA moment followed when I found out it was named such because the New York Times building used to be there) all left me with a very Holden Caulfield-like weekend. It was a great time, but its nice to be back and stationary in one place for more than 8 hours.
As for this upcoming week, I've just got a lot of work (I'm interning at the Department of Environmental Conservation's Office of Climate Change and working part-time at Coldstone Ice Cream) and then a New York State Habitat for Humanity conference on Saturday. I'll be sure to report on how that goes. Until then.
Au revoir,
Justin
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Habitat on the Hill
I know what you must be thinking. Look outside and you might be able to catch a fleeting glimpse of a pig taking flight: I'm updating my blog. Let me defend myself and say that I started this blog with the best of intentions but alas, it fell to the wayside. But its been an exciting week and thus, I'm sending out an update.
On Sunday night I packed up my dress clothes and my love for Habitat and caught a 10:30PM bus to Washington, D.C. to attend the Habitat on the Hill conference, a gathering of Habitat affiliates from all across the country to advocate for affordable housing. And an advocating we would do. We spent two days attending lectures on how to incorporate advocacy into your Habitat affiliate, and listened as HUD deputy secretary Ron Sims and civil rights leader-turned U.S. Representative John Lewis caught and held our attention as we listened to the rhythmic, poetic delivery of their stories unlike any speech I've ever heard. I looked around the room during Mr. Sims' captivating delivery to find not a single dry eye in the room, myself included. Grown men were reduced to crying children with the stories that this man told and the way in which he told them. I'll never forget that speech as long as I live. After being instructed as to the legislation that Habitat supported, we were sent to Capitol Hill to lobby. With 150 participants, representing 42 states and Canada, we attended over 450 legislative meetings with U.S. Senators and Representatives from our respective districts. The highlight (or low point, depending on how you look at it) was going to my Representative's office to meet with Rep. McHugh himself. All of my previous meetings had been with staffers due to the representatives' busy schedules and so this was an exceptionally lucky event. When I entered, I got a regretful look from his secretary that I wasn't going to actually meet him in person, followed by the disappointing news that his schedule had indeed been changed. Only after speaking to his staffer did I found out that, oh you know, he just happened to get nominated by President Obama to the position of Secretary of the Army earlier that morning. Needless to say, I was able to bring myself to forgive him for not being able to meet with me. As someone who was spending his spring break in Albany in 2008 when news broke about Spitzer's wrongdoings, I seem to know all too well the importance of timing in politics. Congratulations to Rep. McHugh for the nomination and it will be more interesting I think to see who throws their hat into the ring for the 23rd congressional seat that will be left vacant with McHugh's promotion, assuming of course he's confirmed by Congress, something that I'm sure will go smoothly.
So as I'm standing here in the Albany bus terminal, an area not far from the Capitol yet lacking considerably in the same aesthetic appeal, I watch a taxi driver perform what I can only assume to be some kind of drunken ballet. I've seen a lot over the last couple of days, and as my schedule takes me to NYC on Friday to obtain my visa to study in France, I can imagine that this is only the beginning of things to come.
Au revoir,
Justin
On Sunday night I packed up my dress clothes and my love for Habitat and caught a 10:30PM bus to Washington, D.C. to attend the Habitat on the Hill conference, a gathering of Habitat affiliates from all across the country to advocate for affordable housing. And an advocating we would do. We spent two days attending lectures on how to incorporate advocacy into your Habitat affiliate, and listened as HUD deputy secretary Ron Sims and civil rights leader-turned U.S. Representative John Lewis caught and held our attention as we listened to the rhythmic, poetic delivery of their stories unlike any speech I've ever heard. I looked around the room during Mr. Sims' captivating delivery to find not a single dry eye in the room, myself included. Grown men were reduced to crying children with the stories that this man told and the way in which he told them. I'll never forget that speech as long as I live. After being instructed as to the legislation that Habitat supported, we were sent to Capitol Hill to lobby. With 150 participants, representing 42 states and Canada, we attended over 450 legislative meetings with U.S. Senators and Representatives from our respective districts. The highlight (or low point, depending on how you look at it) was going to my Representative's office to meet with Rep. McHugh himself. All of my previous meetings had been with staffers due to the representatives' busy schedules and so this was an exceptionally lucky event. When I entered, I got a regretful look from his secretary that I wasn't going to actually meet him in person, followed by the disappointing news that his schedule had indeed been changed. Only after speaking to his staffer did I found out that, oh you know, he just happened to get nominated by President Obama to the position of Secretary of the Army earlier that morning. Needless to say, I was able to bring myself to forgive him for not being able to meet with me. As someone who was spending his spring break in Albany in 2008 when news broke about Spitzer's wrongdoings, I seem to know all too well the importance of timing in politics. Congratulations to Rep. McHugh for the nomination and it will be more interesting I think to see who throws their hat into the ring for the 23rd congressional seat that will be left vacant with McHugh's promotion, assuming of course he's confirmed by Congress, something that I'm sure will go smoothly.
So as I'm standing here in the Albany bus terminal, an area not far from the Capitol yet lacking considerably in the same aesthetic appeal, I watch a taxi driver perform what I can only assume to be some kind of drunken ballet. I've seen a lot over the last couple of days, and as my schedule takes me to NYC on Friday to obtain my visa to study in France, I can imagine that this is only the beginning of things to come.
Au revoir,
Justin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
