My Newest Gadget

I finally broke down and purchased yet another.. yes… ipod. As you might remember, my last hard-drive based ipod passed away and ever since, I have been somewhat lost whenever trying to exercise or just listen to some good jams. I contemplated getting an ipod video, but I decided to go with the very sexy and sleek nano (and at a discount thanks to Laurie’s employee discount =)).

Here she is in all her glory. Please keep your hands to yourself. Thanks.

charles's nano

Monster Mash 2006

Another Halloween and another great costume party. As I was driving up to SF with He-Man (Eiki), Prefontaine (Yuta), Alice in Wonderland (Lauren), and the Travelocity Gnome (Natalie), I realized that this holiday is one of my favorite days of the year (Most likely because I’ve had great back to back Halloweens). For more great photos, check out Young’s and Tony’s photos. Although my costume didn’t quite make it through the night, I had a great time. Hope everyone else had a fun Monster Mash weekend.

Also, in my opinion, Eiki with his hairy legs continues to be the reigning champion of Best Halloween Costume. If you can beat He-Man with the power of GraySkull, please send me links and photos. Thanks.

He-Man and the Power of GraySkull

Running Shoe Science

Who knew that running shoes could be so complicated. I recently decided to make a better effort to run more so I decided to treat myself to some better shoes. With a quick trip to Running Revolution, I discovered that there is an entire science to choosing the right running shoe… who knew it would be this complicated!? Some factors that my good friend Chris helped me discover:

– The arch is key. I have flat feet so specific shoes are better for my feet.
– Your running style is unique. I always knew that I was bow-legged but I had no idea how much it could influence my running style. Chris video taped me running on a treadmill and apparently the fact that I walk like a pigeon compensates for the fact I have flat feet which seemed “uncommon” based on Chris’s reaction.
– Size is both length and width. I have relatively wide feet and no two feet are shaped the same. As a result, the seems of the shoes should complement that shape… there shouldn’t be an “adjusting” needed.

I ended up with some Saucony shoes (never heard of them before). I don’t think they are particluarly “stylish” but I don’t really care. My feet are happier which is what matters.

Oof

I just received my newest purchase from Amazon.com… the Click DVD. I am not a big Adam Sandler fan, and I’ll admit I have already seen the movie in the theatre (with Bert and Jason) and it wasn’t a blockbuster hit. So you are probably wondering “Why Charles would you buy that DVD?”. Two words. Kate Beckinsale. Do I need to say more?

If you are interested in watching the movie or borrowing it, let me know. There is plenty of Kate to go around.

A Laugh a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

I love to laugh. One time I was in a hotel (not feeling so happy at the time), and I saw this comedy duo on HBO from New Zealand called Flight of the Conchords who completely changed my mood. Their claim to fame is “New Zealand’s 4th most popular folk duo.” Well, thanks to our great friends at YouTube (well, now Google) I found the HBO segments!! Hope they make you laugh…

I think laughing keeps me healthy. I think it will keep you healthy too.

CharlesSpot Ratings – Thanh Long

To give some background, Thanh Long is the first of the An Family restaurants which include another very popular establishment (and probably more well known) Crustaceans.  My overall experience from last night was pretty high up on my list.  Parking was easy (the place is kinda located in a residential area), it wasn’t overcrowded, and Laurie and I could have a conversation without yelling at each other.  Oh, and the food was pretty damn good too.  It included shrimp toast (a weird name, but delicious) and the standard roast crab and garlic noodles.  If you don’t order the garlic noodles, I would argue you are somewhat insane… or guess that you were allergic to noodles or garlic.  We ended up passing on dessert and settled for the banana & Nutella cake I made, which was sitting in the fridge back at Laurie’s place.

PROS:  garlicy food, pleasant atmosphere, hot girlfriend

CONS:  the Mark West Pinot wasn’t spectacular (but effectively turned my face red), distance driving for dinner

Again, for more opinions, check out Yelp.