Entries this day: Dang_missed_my_train_again Freestyle_yoga Good_work_at_work Long_chat_with_Catherine brick_fucking_wall chatty_fingers free_hugs

Dang missed my train again

9:28am JST Tuesday 13 November 2007 (day 13747)

Silly Rob.

I had "plenty of time" as I arrived at the station, so I took pictures of the old being-refurbished lower tracks, took the stairs up instead of the escalator, took pictures of the new upper Meguro Line tracks, and took too much time composing the perfect shot and missed my train.

Fortunately, Tokyu Toyoko Line rules, and trains arrive/leave about once every 3 minutes during rush hour and once every 7 minutes during the day. Anyway, I took a few more pictures of the Meguro Line, especially the construction of the walls (I'm lost for terminology here (*)), though at this point the walls are simply holes in the platform where the wall supports will be placed.

(*) The Meguro Line trains are attended by only the driver. There's no one at the rear of the train to monitor the doors at each station. The driver has 4 little TV monitors on the dashboard that must be wirelessly fed by cameras placed along the platform.

To help support the driver's job, there is a barrier along the platform with doors on it. It's sorta like elevators or unstaffed trams in big airports: the elevators/trams have doors and there are doors in the lobby to keep people out of the elevator shaft/tracks.

It's these lobby-side doors that I'm not sure what to call. "Platform doors" ?

Anyways, I photographed the holes where the platforms' doors' walls' posts will go.

Freestyle yoga

Reply-to: Catherine

> Rob!! I saw pics of you doing bakasana! Very cool :)

Where did you see those pics?  What pose is bakasana?

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/468

hahahaha!!   I just looked it up..  Woohoo!  I was doing yoga in my play time!!!

Good work at work

11:02am JST Tuesday 13 November 2007 (day 13747)

Sweet. I just wrote to the DB the data I needed to write. I've still got to move the chunk of code to a new location, but now with this data being written properly, I can check off another box on the imaginary task list for this project.

1:00pm JST

Yes. I figured out where the chunk of code should go, moved the main part of it (proved the concept will work (i.e. I can send the data it creates to where I need to display it)) and now just need to move the rest.

Long chat with Catherine

1:36 PM me: hey rock-asana rock star!
  http://robnugen.com/journal.pl?type=all&date=2007/11/13#Freestyle_yoga
1:41 PM Scott: hey rob - this is scott
 me: Hey Scott!
  nice to virtually meet you
 Scott: you too! hold on - catherine is signing in...
  this is catherine. what did scott say to you?
1:42 PM me: He said you're the most amazing woman he's ever met
 Scott: ok he was good
 me: Yes.
 Scott: what time is it there?
 me: Or perhaps that's just my projection of what he would have said had he actually said anything.
  It's 1:42pm here
  and there?
 Scott: you project well
 me: hahahahaah
  nice
1:43 PM Scott: it's 11:42 pm over here
  so have you tried the one-legged bakasana yet?
 me: of course!
 Scott: how was it!?!?!!?
 me: That's how I sleep at night
 Scott: awesome!
 me: wtf are you talking bout... the bakasana pose I did was hardly even yoga
1:44 PM much less one leg
  does that mean one arm for support?
 Scott: o come on man
 me: if so, there's no way I can do that pose at this time
 Scott: EVERYTHING is yoga
 me: you project well
1:45 PM Scott: thank you
  hmmm...do you know what one-legged bakasana looks like?
 me: nope
 Scott: I'm extremely sure you can do it
  with your gymnastics background
 me: did you see the link I posted?.. I put my reply to yer email in my journal
 Scott: just practice on grass and you should be fine
1:46 PM oh cool. haven't seen yet
 me: so "one leg" means "one arm" in this case, right? given that it's the crane pose
 Scott: ok....www.yogasublime.com
  click on gallery. it's the last picture
1:47 PM yeah, I just saw the post
1:48 PM me: I just saw the picture on your kick ass website!
  very nice
  yah; I can do the one leg bakasana, but with limited extension
 Scott: so what do you think? practicing on grass today?
  understandable
 me: if I find any grass, I will do it!
 Scott: but you were on grass in your bakasana!
  where was that?
1:49 PM me: Both weed and grass are illegal here in the main city
 Scott: shame
 me: that was 30 minutes away by train
 Scott: oh
  hmmm...maybe a pillow would do
 me: but yeah, I can find my bed or something
 Scott: Ami seems cooll
 me: are these B&W pics you?
 Scott: yes
 me: she's awesome
 Scott: when she coming back to US
 me: you're awesome
 Scott: I know I'm awesome
1:50 PM me: um... no plans as yet
 Scott: have we lost you to japan forever?
 me: sigh
  I don't think so
  but it sure has been a long time
 Scott: nah, time flies
1:51 PM me: I'm not really impressed with the USG right about now
 Scott: it was just yesterday that I bought your filing cabinet
 me: silly!
  that was the day before yesterday
 Scott: ah, my mistake
  aren't you supposed to be at work?
 me: shhhh
 Scott: oops
1:52 PM me: or are you trying to get rid of me?
 Scott: no, not at all
 me: After my year + traveling, plus breaking my shoulder, I was a bit low on funds
 Scott: yeah, I saw your surgery pics
 me: so now I'm just working to get back into positive net worth territory.
 Scott: they were grawesome
 me: they are awesome!
  gruesomely awesome!
1:53 PM Scott: yes!
 me: and 100% recovery in the shoulder department
 Scott: excellent
 me: I actually have more flexibility in that shoulder than the other for some reason
  fully strength and everything so it's a nice blessing
  nice way to end a broken shoulder story
1:54 PM are you in NYC?
 Scott: nope. boston
 me: gah
 Scott: nyc is depressing
  close enough man
 me: sorry I knew you were in NEwEngland
 Scott: it's all the same
  cold
 me: ah, you're so generous with geography
 Scott: dreary
 me: and so picky with yoga!
 Scott: what do you mean?
 me: Why are you there?
1:55 PM I'm just fuckin' with you.
 Scott: because of Scott, my beloved
 me: New York = Boston, but...
  in this pose, your left pinky should be just like this
 Scott: oh hush
  that's the art of yoga
  anal retentiveness
 me: Any pics of Scott?
 Scott: ___________________
1:56 PM me: good lord with the domains!
 Scott: wedding website
  yeah man!
  we're both website designing hobbyists!
 me: I thought you were more... I dunno natural life than e-life
 Scott: e-life and yoga and food
 me: were you when I knew you?
 Scott: I don't remember
  ah, I was just starting off
1:57 PM you should be teaching me!!!
 me: That would be my pleasure
  Is he Puerto Rican?
 Scott: OK, how do you embed flickr slideshows AND be standards compliant
  No, he's not
 me: that's the first idea that comes to mind when I see him, but
 Scott: although I've asked that often
 me: You've asked him??
1:58 PM Scott: typo
  I've been asked that often
  LOL, uh, honey, are you puerto rican?
 me: to which standard do you want to comply?
 Scott: he's so tired of me asking him
 me: Are you sure you're not Puerto Rican?
 Scott: Im not sure about myselof
 me: Scott, honey, we need some honesty in our relationship.
1:59 PM Scott: ok, I'm puerto rican
  he's cool with it
 me: So where's he from?
 Scott: half african american and half caucasian
  we grew up on the same street!
 me: reallly????
  that's fuckin' tight!
 Scott: he used to walk me to the bus stop in middle school!
 me: what street was that?
2:00 PM Scott: ______
 me: aaawwwwww
 Scott: I know
  I didn't like him back then
 me: Man he was planning ahead!
 Scott: my mom made me walk with him for my safety
 me: espeically for being so young
 Scott: yeah. that's why he's a lawyer!
2:01 PM compliant with www consortium or something rather
 me: w3c, I imagine
  but which standard?
 Scott: yes yes that's it
  strict xhtml
 me: there's XHTML st
2:02 PM I didn't even have time to type it
 Scott: I beat you to it
 me: okay, that answer is easy!
 Scott: gimme answer please
 me: I have no idea how to do it.
  that's my easy answer
 Scott: you're awesome
 me: I imagine the cats at flickr have to change it
  BUT
 Scott: I wanna be a good coder
2:03 PM no iframes!!!!
 me: There's an API for flickr so you can write a thing that gets the pics you want in any standard
you want
 Scott: uh, what's API
  ama google it
 me: good
  that's what I did for rockabahkasana
 Scott: application programming interface
 me: yes
2:04 PM Scott: whoa. cool. api for bakasana?
  you teach me yoga!
 me: basically it's a set of "hooks" that let you call Flickr's database
 Scott: ok, I get that
 me: excellent!
  I'll teach you how to make a pose called API
2:05 PM Scott: will it change the interface of my pose?
  because I don't want my pinky toe being all over the place
 me: ah man, those pinky toes are always the trick
  the toes pose
2:06 PM Scott: are you still running?
 me: skating?
 Scott: (I haven't forgotten api and flickr)
 me: I never liked running
 Scott: can't skate up here
 me: why?
 Scott: man o man I miss it though
  well, I did last summer
  you still skating?
  weather's crappy throughout most the year
2:07 PM me: The problem with coming back to the US is all my bestestest friends are scattered all
over the place, so even if I came *back*, it would be like moving to a whole new world
 Scott: sux
 me: dude. Tell that Scott kid to move to where it's lovely and warm!
 Scott: we move back to Houston next year!
 me: woot!
 Scott: I skate more!
 me: woot!
 Scott: I know, isn't that so cool!!!!
  I can't wait to get back in my skates
2:08 PM me: So, when I arrived in Japan, I had skates
 Scott: and then?
 me: the first time I put them on, the strap fucking BROKE
 Scott: ack!
 me: and I was pissed, but used duct tape to fix it
 Scott: that stuff is magical
 me: and skated successfully one (1) time
 Scott: goodness
 me: and haven't skated again with my skates since then
 Scott: aw man!
 me: I have rented skates, but not done any urban adventures
2:09 PM it was just in a rinky dinky rink
 Scott: is japan a skating friendly city?
 me: no way
 Scott: you urban skaters are crazy
 me: not even bicycle friendly
  ah, but it's hella fun
  I do where a helmet now
 Scott: YOU move to a skate and bike friendly city
  as well you should
 me: after my lovely head broke the concrete
 Scott: yeah, I remember that story
  you're one lucky bastard
2:10 PM me: so.. yah I should get some skates
  and a helmet again
  I do miss ripping up the pavement and parts of my skin
 Scott: you heal well because you have good spirit
  the glory
 me: I appreciate you noting that
 Scott: it's true
 me: I have always told people to focus on being well
  not focus on "aw I broke my blahblahblabh"
2:11 PM Scott: that's so yoga of you
  yoga and api of you
 me: when I broke my shoulder I was like, "cool! I finally broke my shoulder"
 Scott: the api links your spirit to your yoga
 me: I rememeber the trees, the sky; the day was beautiful, and I successfully lived through hitting
 a car. it was awesome
 Scott: wow
2:12 PM me: okay, so
  if
 Scott: I can see that being a spiritual experience
 me: you really want some help with flickr API stuff
  we should talk; I may be able to help
 Scott: I'm trying to incorporate one in my yoga website
2:13 PM me: it was especially so after having just done a 10 day Vipassana meditation
 Scott: in japan?
 me: is yer website straight flat html?
  yes
 Scott: html/css
 me: it was weird because everything was being translated, so my brain was caught up in telling them
 to shut up so I could meditate
  kinda funny, but not at the time
2:14 PM we basically need to write a page or two in PHP on your site
 Scott: one of my students from japan says that there isn't a lot of yoga there
 me: that will allow you to call the API
 Scott: the best thing for me to do is study some php and api and then we collaborate
 me: there's a lot of .... hobby yoga
 Scott: I want to know what the frak is happening to my website
 me: some housewives go to yoga studios
 Scott: that and it's cool
2:15 PM housewives?
 me: yah
 Scott: is this something you heard or have you experienced?
 me: pretty clear cut distinction between male and females here in terms of duties
2:16 PM Well, it was like a survey
 Scott: is Ami a traditional japanese female?
 me: the only people I heard "yoga" from were my female students in English school
2:17 PM she's a bit traditional in that she can cook, but she's also working in a law firm as a
clerk of some variety
  she'd like to study whatsit... to be a paralegal in the US
 Scott: oh cool, so she aspires to move to the US
2:18 PM me: so I've been encouraging her to pump up her English skillz to do that
 Scott: you best be better about speaking english with her
 me: yah; she'd like to "move to America" but I don't know that she knows why
  yah, I certainly don't force her to speak English
2:19 PM Scott: but if she's really interested in moving to US, she needs to practice, no?
 me: yes yes fo sho
 Scott: um, I hope you don't speak like that to her
 me: hahahahahahah
 Scott: she won't get a parlegal job that way
 me: my Japanese is probably that messy, but I speak correct English with her
2:20 PM Scott: so what's youre speaking level now?
 me: ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
 Scott: can you converse with any Japanese person
 me: no way
 Scott: but you're able to speak with Ami?
  that's impressive
 me: basically yes
  thanks
2:21 PM I sound fluent to most Americans, but I have a long ways to go before I can just chat with
peeps on the street
  or even people I know
 Scott: k, I gotta go. It's past midnight over here.
 me: aight peace out!
 Scott: and I gots to teach in the morning!
2:22 PM me: have funnnnnn!
 Scott: thanks for chatting man
 me: I miss our lessons, btw
 Scott: you too!!! and work!!!!
  I do too. those were so fun
 me: seriously don't let the API thing vanish if you wanna do it
 Scott: you were my guinea pig
 me: :-)
  so great!
 Scott: I'm not going to let it vanish
  I'm very interested
 me: good.
  I'll email you
 Scott: yup. sounds good
  byee!!!!
 me: aight; be well my friend.
2:23 PM bye!

brick fucking wall

6:58pm JST Tuesday 13 November 2007 (day 13747)

Completely lost in the details and crap of this stupid project. I should probably walk away from the keyboard, but I at least need to do a brain dump to write down the deets of the chaos in my head.

8:02pm JST

Okay. Writing that all out helped. I was actually able to get 2 more steps done on the path to completion city.

(the city isn't very many steps away; the steps are just sometimes big, and sometimes I'd rather skate.)

chatty fingers

8:13pm JST Tuesday 13 November 2007 (day 13747)

I just alt-s to save, and my finger also hit alt-w, which closes the window.

I didn't consciously notice what happened; I thought the screen had scrolled and that I had found a new way to scroll the window on SubEthaEdit. I hit alt-w a few more times to see how it works and of course; it closes the windows (I've only used the key combination a million billion times) and I just kept alt-w-ing until they were all closed. (a million billion six)

Hmm. I guess it's time for me to go, if I listen to my fingers.

Okay bye, work; see you tomorrow.

free hugs

9:37pm JST Tuesday 13 November 2007 (day 13747)

Free hugs from 8:32 to 9:32pm tonight. British Mike stopped by for a bit, though he didn't hold the sign this time. We chatted for a bit and shared news of our most recent injuries. He may have cracked something in his foot while kick boxing, and I bruised my right achilles tendon by stubbing my left big toe into it.

While he was there, I gave two hugs, one to a girl who just seemed like life had given her a beating today. She just looked super sad, but she didn't lock on for a big hug. Just the softest of pressure.

Mike asked if I ever "feel creepy" giving hugs, and I assured him that "I never go to them; they gotta come get the hug if they want it," and I'm quite careful to let go as soon as appropriate. I told him about the super long hug I got a couple weeks ago. My memory says it was about 30 seconds, but I'm not totally sure.

Though he hung out for a while, Mike must have been all full in the hug department cause he didn't get one.

A couple came by, then stopped and looked really happy as they went into their bag and pulled out a FREE HUGS sign! They asked to take pictures with me, and the guy gave me a FREE HUGS button for my shirt. Sweet!

Eli came by a bit later and though he *didn't* stop to chat, he gave an awesome hug. "You're number 30," I said. "I feel so dirty now," he replied. "haha yeah, dirty thirty!"

One girl who seemed to speak both English and Japanese pretty well was like, "どうして？Why are you doing this?" and I told her just to spread joy through Shibuya. She explained this in Japanese to her friend after she was all, "wow! すごい！ that's awesome!" and then I asked if she wanted to try for a bit. She thanked me, but said she had to get home.

Several people took photos with me, and I always wonder if they're going to end up online somewhere, and how I could find them. [images shibuya free.hugs guy] perhaps.

I was getting a bit tired as 1 hour approached. I had logged 37 hugs and had 4 more minutes before the hour was up.

I was like, "aight; I'm gonna wait for one more crossing cycle and if I don't get 3 hugs; I'm outta here."

A girl with long bleached gray hair, dark eye makeup, a white fur coat, and short skirt pushed her lion-looking boyfriend over to me.

Now, this is a first for my FREE HUGS history. I have not yet had *any* girls of that fashion come up and hug me, much less pressure someone else into doing it.

He hugged me,

38

and then I offered one open arm to her; it looked like she was going to leave without hugging me. She asked him if it was okay, and then she hugged me.

I noticed myself wanting to hold the hug longer than I normally would; it was my first from someone of her fashion! But I noted my desire before I locked in, and let her go appropriately. Her jacket was quite soft.

39

Then a tall Japanese guy like ran up from several meters away and gave me a big quick monster hug.

40!

I let the rest of the group pass by and one guy with an English accent was all, "I'm in the mood for a free hug," and gave a nice one to top off my night.

41 free hugs in 60 minutes, just above 2 hugs per 3 minutes.