i went running again, by myself like last time. i'm either hardcore about running or it's just an excuse to be out of the office for an hour. the run was very similar to tuesday, a lot of gear fumbling as i either try to stay warm or keep cool, my hair whipping in the wind. there wasn't a lot of traffic, about a handful of other runners. a pretty girl walked by listening to her cd player, perhaps the only highlight on an otherwise very boring run. i didn't stop until i crossed memorial drive, then i continued running, starting at the head of the longfellow bridge. i distracted myself on the banks of the charles river by noticing that there are certain streets in back bay where there's a direct line-of-sight to some of boston's skyscrapers, like the hancock and the prudential. it's as if i was discovering perspective for the very first time. when i wasn't doing that, i was looking at all the fat squirrels standing on the sides of the road, silent spectators. when it was all over, i was breathing hard and i was exhausted, but it felt really good.
commuting into boston, i bumped into one of julie's roommates, johanna, then i bumped into mr.huang, an old family friend. at work, there was a big ROTK discussion, now that james and i have also seen the movie. everyone else was worried that we might give something away before they had a chance to see it. i had a bowl of ramen for lunch, not the most nutritious meal, and the monosodium glutamate aftertaste was strong, but it gave me enough fuel to go running. on the diorama front, i added the ceiling and finally glued the window frame to the window after i put in a sheet of plastic to simulate the window panes.
i went to harvard square after work. i wish i had a car, then i'd drive to a mall and just get all my shopping done. instead, i have to settle for harvard square, year after year, the same stores over and over again. the only new one was black ink, featuring overpriced knick knacks, kitschy, cute, cool. i got a stuffed pig for my sister. then, all the usuals: urban outfitters, newbury comics, tower records (the only other place i got a present from, a book), and wordsworth. i wish the museum store was still around, they had some cool stuff, and likewise the former discovery store, now a candy shop. like i said, every year the same stores, it gets pretty stale, there really isn't worth buying. i'm going to have to make a pilgrimage to one of the bigger malls this weekend to get my shopping done.
i left harvard square around 8pm, went to star market first to get some french bread pizza ingredients, but ended up buying a box of stoffer's french bread pizza as well, just because i was too lazy to really cook. as soon as i got home, i threw one of the pizzas into the toaster oven and just relaxed in the living room until my food was ready.