i woke up before 9am and started working, the weather outside a gloomy overcast for the entire day. i wanted to get an early start because i'd stopped coding prematurely on friday and was a little behind, and if i got done early, i could take jawei to the aquarium on some free passes i could score from the public library (he had the day off from english class today). the lingo was a little more challenging that i thought and i ended up going the distance today, a full 8 hours of work. i went out briefly to cash a check at the bank (when twice, i left my ATM card at home the first time). dana came over before noontime to deliver some hardware from MBE for the project we're working on. i set up the PC in my bedroom office; i know the machine's not mine and eventually i'll have to return it to MBE but it's still fun to have some new hardware in the house. a little bit afterwards my father came by as well, delivering some winter clothes.
in the early evening i went out with my friend gary to get some dinner. we went to the chilli garden in medford, a sichuan restaurant i've to before. we were the first customers and came in through the back door, which surprised the waitress. i remembered the food wasn't anything that spectacular, and tonight was much of the same. it was so salty i think i almost passed out. gary was talking pretty much the whole time. i had some personal problems to get off my chest as well, but i couldn't get a word in edgewise. i feel like a psychiatrist when i talk to gary, i basically just sit there and listen, occasionally chiming in with some possible insight. i hope the time we spent together allowed him to release some stress. even though i didn't get to share any of my own troubles, talking to gary always makes me feel better because my problems seem so insignificant compared to his.
i got back by 9pm. with the rain outside, i wasn't surprised that the red sox game was postponed until tomorrow afternoon.