Seattle pics

I posted some pictures on Flickr from my recent visit to Seattle for the AVS conference.

ACL surgery

I just got back from my ACL surgery. Everything went smooth and I am now immobilized with an ice machine hooked up to my leg. The doctor cleaned up the torn ACL, did a little cleaning on my meniscus also, and secured the new ACL. I now have someone's (26 yrs old, male) tibial ligament as my new ACL. I'll post some nice pictures of the before and after whenever I am a little more mobile. Stay healthy out there.

news update

I've been so busy that I completely forgot about this thing. I was just reading Sarah's blog when I realized that maybe I should post something on mine.

Newsflash

• We moved into the new house 3 months ago. Plenty of space, good layout, nice yard for Sedona. Everybody (me, Kristen, Vlad and Zeb) is happy.
  
• I've torn my ACL a few months ago. The surgery is scheduled for Oct 25th. I putting in a "new" ligament from a cadaver.
  
• Research started to cooperate, so work is keeping me very busy. I went to a conference in San Diego back in April, and I am presenting another paper in Seattle on Oct 16th.
  
• Because of my injury the only cardio activity I can do is biking. I recently bought a sweet older road bike. It's a Piranello, steel frame, built initially for cyclo-cross, so it has very light mountain bike components on it. I've done a couple of rides so far and I love it.
• I am building a Home Theater PC using MythTV for the living room. So far it cost me in the neighborhood of $400. What is a MythTV good for? You can set it to record one or two episodes of "Law and Order", "CSI" or any other favorite show everyday. If you only have time to watch TV once a week, you go to MythTV select the recorded show that you want to watch and click play. The best part is that it automatically cuts out the commercials for you (suck it Tivo). I hate commercials with a passion, and being able to watch the whole Daily Show in 15 minutes without the stupid ads is awesome.
  

Boulder renters pay the big bucks - News

I am in the process of looking for a place to live and the rent prices are just ridiculous. Boulder is apparently the eighth most expensive campus in the nation, according to this research: Boulder renters pay the big bucks - News

What to do in the Denver / Boulder area

My parents are coming from Romania on May 15th. They're visiting me for a week and then go to my brother's graduation in Baltimore. I am trying to put together a list of things that would keep them entertained. I hope to update the list as soon as I come up with more ideas.

Boulder

• sip some tasty tea at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
  
• hit the Boulder Farmer's Market on Saturday
  
• drive to Estes Park, and do a little hike: Gem Lake Trail, or Bear Lake or Mary's lake, if we want something super easy.
• come back from Estes via Highway 7 and stop in Nederland for a bite
• go back to Boulder via Boulder Canyon and stop at Boulder falls or continue to I70
• visit the Celestial Seasonings factory
• bike along the many beautiful bike paths available in Boulder
• walk, eat, shop on Pearl Street
• go to Skinny Jay's on Friday night for some truly American food and music
• watch me (or others, if my leg doesn't feel better) play frisbee on Sunday
• have breakfast at the Village for some authentic morning grease
• Southern Sun for some hippie infusion
• do a short hike on Mount Sanitas for an aerial view of Boulder
  

Denver/out of Boulder

• walk around 16th street Mall
• go the Denver Art Museum, acclaimed mainly for its green architecture
• eat at Sushi Den, the best sushi ever
• drive up Pike's peak or take the cog train
  
• go to a Rockies baseball game

Fear of change

Here's an excellent summary of the clash between the anglo-saxon and latin-romantic mentalities. Sometimes I feel we need a combination of both. Vive la France!

Lista cu lucruri din Romania

-crema naturala pentru genunchi (versiunea naturista a BenGay)
-pulover pt Kristen (L)
-ceva pentru Zeb (orice)
-ciocolata (gramada)
-saprosan si triferment
-adidasi / ghete - ceva de incaltat bun de mers pe munte sau prin padure

va urma ...