i rolled out of bed early to start working since i had a few things to do before a meeting in cambridgeport at 1pm. i made a cream cheese bagel with salmon and capers for breakfast along with a glass of mango juice. time seems to slip by when i have a deadline and before i knew it i was uploading the latest code and getting ready to ride out to my meeting.

i called my doctor to book an appointment after i got home. ever since i got back from washington dc, i've had this weird itchy rash on my neck that hasn't gone away. i keep on wondering if i contracted something and now finally, over a month later, i'm seeing a doctor about it. i would've called earlier but i switched health insurance recently so i have a new doctor now and had to register first over the phone before i could make an appointment. i called MGH (where my old doctor is) to transfer my medical records but there's a series of bureaucratic hoops i have to jump through in order to get that done (for instance, i need to send something in writing, and i can't do it in person because it's not a walk-in service).

i decided to take advantage of this last sunshine day of the week by going out for a run. the mail arrived, including a large envelope from my friend alex in tokyo. i already knew what it was but it still felt like a surprise: when i was in tokyo last year, i went to the osaka aquarium and got some souvenirs before i left. unfortunately when i was packing for taiwan i accidently left my souvenirs in alex's apartment. a year later, he finally mailed them to me, a t-shirt and some keychains, all featuring the whale shark, the official mascot of the kaiyukan. almost all the whale sharks in captivity are found in japan, with the exception of the georgia aquarium, with their pair of whale sharks imported from taiwan (so if you ever want to see a live whale shark - short of going on an ocean expedition - take a trip to atlanta).

i felt surprisingly strong today during my run, a newfound endurance that i haven't seen in a long time. i still wanted to die while making my loop but picked it up for the final few hundred yards. i keep on thinking about the people who run marathons - not in a million years could i run 26 miles - just doing 3 miles leave me breathless and panting. speaking of which, a statuesque girl wearing pink spandex shorts got a resounding chorus of car honks at the intersection near the jfk school when she lifted up her shirt to wipe her face. nature note: i saw an oriole up in a tree (makes sense they'd be nearby, with mt.auburn cemetery right next door).

returning home i took a detour on sacramento street to visit my garden plot. there was one beefy dandelion i saw yesterday that's just been haunting me. so i went into the tool shed and found a small spade and dug that weed out, chopping off all the flowers as well to prevent them from turning into seeds. i have to contact the woman who had my plot last season, to ask her if she wants to keep anything, otherwise i'll completely till the soil to make way for the things i want to grow. still haven't really given it very much thought though, i just know it'll be a lot of wildflowers. as for vegetables, i think i'm going to grow them in my parents' backyard, just so there'll be somebody to take care of my plants if i should go away during the summer (i'm not as concerned about flowers).

in the evening my mother came back from the wrentham outlet mall with my 2nd cousin and his wife. everyone, including my father, dropped by my place and waited for my sister to show up so we could go out to dinner at victoria on commonwealth avenue by BU. later i got a ride back to my place, just in time to catch what about brian (is the season over already?) and tonight's episode of 24 (on tape). miles you bastard!