Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Rubik's Cube Update

1:47!

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Hadran Aluch Maseches Megillah

Yesterday I completed maseches Megillah. I started learning this in honor of Elchanan David Yifrach ben Freeda, but unfortunately I had to complete it in memory of David Elchanan Yifrach ben Tuvia.

May his family be comforted amongst all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

I have begun maseches Moed Katan and will learn it in David's memory as well.

This Will be a Day Long Remembered...

Sunday was one of those days that a) Never seemed to end, and b) was filled with myriad activity. The breakdown:

1:45AM-5:00AM: I monitored my systems at work remotely from home to ensure that all the DST patching my team and I did went into effect. I had to pay lots of attention to detail or there'd be serious trouble. Everything seemed to be in order so I called it a "night" at daybreak.

9:30AM-11:00AM: My wife and I, as well as most of our entire community, attended the funeral of the person I've been learning for. This was the youngest person's funeral I've ever attended and it was devastating. All I could think about was his young daughter, my daughter's age, and the horror of it all, and her future emotions in relation to her loss.

11:15AM-2:00PM: The DST patching wasn't 100% perfect, so I spent the time investigating the points of failure. Only some users were negatively affected, so there'll be minimal impact at work tomorrow.

2:00PM-5:00PM: Began building the IKEA wardrobe in my bedroom.

5:00PM: My folks came over for a pit-stop visit on the way to a simcha.

5:15PM-5:25PM: Scooted over to my neighbor's house for some pick-me up floor hockey with his kids. I needed it, I haven't played actual hockey in a while.

5:30PM: Wished my folks au revoir:

5:30PM-8:00PM: Continued building the wardrobe.

8:00PM: Verge of collapse.

8:00PM-10:00PM: Did the dishes, took out the trash, cleaned up the house, shlepped bags up from the car, did some of my daf, ate dinner.

10:00PM: Collapse.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

I've Mastered the Rubik's Cube!

I know, I know, I'm about two decades too late, but better late than never! Um, no?

So there I was, sitting at my computer at home when I looked up and noticed the Rubik's Cube that had been sitting on the radio on a shelf above me since I received it as a house-warming gift about three years ago.

My first thought was, "hmmmm..."

My second thought was, "hmmmm?"

My third thought was, "Mmhm!"

Then I was furiously Googling for techniques, falling asleep with the thing on my chest, memorizing algorithms, listening to Wham! and wearing dashikis. Okay, the last two aren't true, but I did stay regressed in the 80's until finally I had achieved my goal of solving the bugger in under 2 minutes. 1:55 to be exact. Now I can get on with my life.