Paintball, Hot Air Balloons & crepes

I was debating whether or not it's worth driving an hour away from Bridgeport alone (Michelle was working) to see some balloons , market, and possibly a fireworks show. I figured if one person responds to my invite it shall happen, otherwise I'd just stay at home. Turns out Shawn and TK were totally up for it, so 3 of us ventured into Plainville CT. There was a ton of people, many many high school kids, which, of course, makes sense. Food was alright, market was a little disappointing. What wasn't disappointing was the fireworks show. It was a blast, very close to where we chose to sit and quite elaborate explosions, must I say. We even saw Robbie. It was a funny thing how I mentioned that its doubtful we'd see someone we'd know, yet life works in funny ways. 

Saturday Morning was Waterbury Extreme Paintball time. The place had several maps outside (already a plus) and it wasn't that expensive. It was my first time and I got shot more than once, though it didn't hurt as much as I anticipated. I wore several layers. It was definitely a workout, my muscles are tiny bit sore (since i don't work out regularly... shame on me). My friends missed out on a ton of fun. Hopefully I can get them all together one day and venture out to shoot at each other. I went with few people I worked with during the summer. 

Sunday morning I decided to make some crepes. But not just regular kind, I stuffed them with deliciousness: Swiss and cheddar, baked chicken, sauteed onion and fresh zucchini. Let me tell how  great they tasted. There, i said it. Basically, if your mouth is watering you got the idea right. It took a long time (several hours) because crepes a tedious to make, but oh how much it's worth it. Michelle is going to wake up to some of my best cooking :) I guess I should have taken a picture of those carefully folded golden brown crepes, but I will just let the imagination fill in the gap.
Cooking always pays off, whether as great tasting food, or a learned experience. Often both.

"Things have happened. Can I stay at your place?"

That's a text message I received from a buddy of mine on Monday. He needed a place to sleep for two nights. Weirdly enough I just came from Boston and Michelle was still there, so i said - sure. I reminded Xander that in 30 years when i will be running for such and such, he should show up and if asked why he supports me, remember this event  :)
Few days went by, i went to lunch with Sunita from Unilever and was able to say hello to most chemists I was working with last year. Also talked to Hiring Manager about possibly going for another 6 months at Unilever. At the same time I already said yes to Boys and Girls club, but they offer only 15 hours/week. I guess i will just have to wait and see what happens.

Though Michelle is working next 4 days I shall be having fun; Friday offers a Hot Air Balloon Festival about an hour away from Bridgeport. I was looking forward to go on the ride, but it turns out to be about $250/person for an hour. That might be a little too much for my wallet, but I still want to come by, check out fireworks and a market. This will jeopardize my Poker Night, but I'm sure people will understand :) Maybe I can convince some of the fellas to come with me!

Saturday, there is a paintball game with some people from summer work. I have never played paintball but I am very excited to have fun and enjoy a great activity with a great company. Little too many words, perhaps.  

Matrix and Cucumbers

'Last night' (few days ago) Michelle and I watched Matrix, and she finally watched it whole and she really liked it. And two days ago I asked her to try some raw cucumber piece and she was okay with it. It's a great step in the right direction. She eats many more vegetables than she was even last year. She even mentioned that she is starting to enjoy eating salads and veggies and that's what is all comes down to - you start seeing food as not only food but as something important and valuable to the body, where feeling great about food can be not just about flavor but reason also.

We also spent a nice weekend in MA.
Michelle took me out to see Blue Man Group, and let me tell you how much I liked it. A lot. A very much exciting performance, blending various styles and concepts. Quite participatory, engaging and funny. I knew I'd like it the moment the show began. Thank you very much, Michelle, for taking me to see it :)

Great post secret video
 

What's the weekend of August look like?

It was very pleasant seeing Andrew, in all his silliness and ease. Now that he's a civilian he is less uptight and more relaxed. He went straight to Missouri from CT and then will drive will little road trip adventure back to Colorado.

This weekend Michelle and I are planning few fun things:
My good friend Dan, from omnomct had posted few festivals in CT.

Saturday: Commandant's Cavalcade
Michelle must see the horses and anything equestrianism related. So long as she does things I ask her and we both enjoy our time this should be totally great fun time. The weekend will be filled with all kinds of fun!


Sunday there is a Shoreline Wine Festival, in Gilford CT. Tons of great food, wine and music. Definitely a must. Tickets aren't to bad, for $30 you taste 7 vineyards with 3-5 wines each. Michelle and I also purchased a water filter that's a little blue buzzing ball. In another booth, she scratched a ticket and we actually won a trip to vegas and cape cod for two. We did have to come next saturday to Lee, MA for and be convinved (for 3 hours, instead of 1.5hours.) to buy a time-share like package  for travelling. It was long and tedious but at the end we got our free 3day trip. Pretty excited about that. I don't normally believe in luck, but I see Michelle win things very often. Some may even say she's lucky...

Little snippets

Something I received in email today from one of subscriptions:

To bet or not to bet? Take a rational approach to riskLeaders are responsible for strategy and plans-and managing the risks involved in carrying them out. Here are some techniques for minimizing your exposure:

• Examine the assumptions in your plan. Ask basic questions to pinpoint the foundations of your strategies, and decide which of your assumptions are built on information that's incorrect or that could change. For instance, the cost of goods that you have calculated in your plan could go up, which could change the amount of profit you project.

• Look for warning signs. Identify potential obstacles to a successful outcome. Have other organizations failed at similar projects? Are you assuming that conditions won't change, or that a competitor won't strike back? Question your assumptions again to be sure you haven't overlooked anything.

• Take preventative action. Look for ways to reduce your vulnerability. You can't plan for every possible contingency, but you can prepare for the most likely problems.

• Set up a hedge strategy. Split your bet to minimize the gamble and maximize your chances of success. For instance, can you develop two new products to test instead of one? Don't stretch yourself (and your team) too thin, but look for ways to improve your odds by sharing resources as well as risk.

Andrew is in town

After the sleepover at camp, Friday the 3rd Andrew landed in CT. I have missed hanging out with him and seeing his rather childish and less responsible side. It is refreshing. We went to see "The Watch" during the day with Chris and Winston.
There was also a large gathering of family/friend members at his old house on Stanwich. It was interesting. To say the least. Mike and Gill showed up to engage.

Michelle went on a road trip to Canada with her friend for a few days. She's coming back late, I will be already asleep. She just crossed the border at 7.31pm. But non the less it would be nice to see her and find out what kinds of fun she has had. I'm cooking her some onions for her arrival. She loves onions. I do too now.

My camp job is over in just few weeks. Tomorrow, we are tye-dying some t-shirts. This summer has been quite a fun ride with teaching kids all kind of creative projects; from hula hoop weave to sculpture, to painting whales to warm and cool colors. Not to mention the amount of bracelets made.

And this is a great TED talk. I'm all about living longer. I even jotted down the four major components.

When game designer Jane McGonigal found herself bedridden and suicidal following a severe concussion, she had a fascinating idea for how to get better. She dove into the scientific research and created the healing game, SuperBetter. In this moving talk, McGonigal explains how a game can boost resilience -- and promises to add 7.5 minutes to your life.