Friday, August 26, 2011

all work and no play .. something something something ..

wednesday was day 3 of a conference, here @ MSRI, and only one talk was scheduled. for once i had actually planned a fun, whimsical day of activity.

sure, i'd do some work in the morning, but ..
  • instead of dwelling in my hotel room, i'd pick a nearby cafe, try out their organic coffee blends .. and when stuck, watch the passerby through the windows;
  • then i'd take the train into san francisco, find a spot for lunch, and then wander around a few museums and well-suggested parts of town;
  • if luck would hold, then i'd acquire a crash pad from one of my contacts and then go outdoor climbing (bouldering) with a friend at indian rock park. otherwise, there is a 7-mile "fire trail" around the foothills that looked particularly interesting for a run;
  • then there would be a gourmet food-truck event, suggested by my sister, where i could sample local fine cuisine .. then a beer or two, and who knows?
well, i never got to half of it.


i had woken up and started LaTeXing in my room a little, if only to get a good pace started before heading to the cafe. that was before i found a gap in my proof ..

.. and before i knew it:
it was noon and the cleaning woman was knocking on my door.

that cast a strange color to the rest of the day: san francisco today would be out of the question. i went to the nearest lunch place, managed a sandwich, and suddenly remembered the climbing arrangements ..

.. wait: when was i supposed to meet ..?

.. but as these matters go, everyone else was happy to delay the climbing from 3pm to .. 5-6ish. there was plenty of time for a coffee and mull over the argument, so in the end i did go to a cafe ..


.. and find a cleaner, more elegant proof. by the time i met friends to go climbing, i didn't much worry that i was moving badly and (having taken a month's hiatus) lost all strength in my grip.


i've LaTeXing up the notes, and no more surprises have appeared. it's a good feeling.

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