What's Your Record?

Tonight Monika and I ate with family and friends at the Blue Danube restaurant in Arlington. Dinner was absolutely delicious, and THREE HOURS. Mind you, it wasn't a big deal because we were hanging out as a group and generally relaxing, so it wasn't absolutely imperative to eat quickly, but the stat is impressive nevertheless. Apparently not one, not two, but four servers, i.e. the entire wait staff, didn't show up. That was unfortunate for them since the restaurant was packed.

The food was delicious and I'd certainly go back again, obviously hoping that the waiting time is reduced next time around. I became curious, though, as to whether that was the longest restaurant meal I've ever had; I'm pretty sure it was. Have any of you ever had a longer meal?

Wacky Tiebreak System Costs Liukin Gold in Beijing.

On Monday, USA competitor Nastia Liukin tied He Kexin in her uneven bar routine, yet walked home with the silver medal instead of the gold. The two gymnasts' routines scored identical difficulty and execution values, requiring the computers to resorts to a sophisticated tiebreaker algorithm to determine the winner.

The tiebreaker algorithm examined deductions from the middle 4 judges in the competition. Shockingly, these values were tied as well.

The computer, at a loss for calculations, had to resort to it's uber-complicated "sudden death" routine. The computer's programmer, who requested to remain nameless, was contacted for an explanation: "The computer chooses the youngest gymnast."

Kexin, at the tender age of 12, was instantly the clear winner.

The High Defolymplics.

I must say- in years past I've been interested and engrossed in the Olympics, but nothing touches this year. I think my total hours watched for 2008 already surpasses my average total viewing time for any other year. Is it the state of the nation, the exceptionally high level of the competitors, or intrigue about the location? It's a combination of those things and my friend HIGH DEFINITION, which I haven't had until this year. HDTV is truly a thing of myth and legend. The difference between standard and HD for regular programming is large, but the difference for sports is nothing short of massive.

If you want to become addicted to this year's Olympics like me, go buy yourself a find HDTV and tune in.

"Long Sleeves?!"

Adam made that comment on my last post. People ask me that pretty often since it's counter-intuitive to wear more clothes when it's over 100 degrees outside. The explanation is pretty simple, though: I have incredibly fair skin (shout-out to my mom) and no amount of sunscreen on my arms will keep them from burning after hours in the sun, so years ago when Nike started making Dri-Fit products I simply started covering up, and now I'm used to it enough that I'm actually hotter in short sleeves. The white fabric deflects the sun away from me. Plus I sweat so much it gives me a surface to wipe my face on during the match. The Dri-Fit fabric doesn't stay wet for long, so I'm not bogged down by soggy shirts either.

So there you have it. :)

Today We Hit 107 Degrees in DFW.

And here's bonus pictures of me serving in said heat last weekend (although last weekend was a pathetic 105).

I Heart Watches.

I have an Omega Seamaster Professional (the "grail" watch, if you will) and recently picked up a "beater" watch that is extremely popular on enthusiast forums, referred to as the "Orange Monster." The OM is known for having great lume (the glow after the lights are out) so I decided to take a couple comparison pictures. Enjoy!