A meaty text indeed for a curious duck.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
2009-05-27 Chronicles of Maura, May 27, 2009
Look what Maura has found! It is a relatively new version (3rd Edition) of Numerical Recipes! Maura's mom calls it the bible. When it comes to solving some fairly generalized problems without too many twists and turns and excursions from text-book problems, then this book comes in handy. However, Maura likes twists and turns, like efficient parallelized algorithms, or optimizations with additional special constraints. Much of the code in this book will have to be carefully looked at before being modified.
A meaty text indeed for a curious duck.
A meaty text indeed for a curious duck.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
2009-05-10 Chronicles of Maura, May 10, 2009
This is Mother's Day Weekend. Maura was pestering her mom about it all week, hinting that she wanted to do something special. Being a duck, Maura didn't have any pockets to hold money that she could use to buy her mom a present. Maura wanted to take her mom to Central Park on Saturday. Or maybe Maura wanted to be taken to Central Park... it wasn't quite clear...
Maura and her mom went to central park to sit on one of those big rocks. They ate lunch together. Some crackers and cheese for Maura. Maura sure likes those cracked pepper water crackers... A Vietnamese sandwich for her mom.
They went around a bit, watching some of the softball players. Maura didn't know much about softball. Neither did her mom.
On Sunday, Maura wanted to take her mom to Montauk, out in Long Island. Maura and her mom had never been out to Long Island before (Does Queens count?). Here is Maura on the train very excited about the trip. How many ducks do you know who enjoy travelling around by train?
Maura and her mom wandered around town, and went out to the beach. It was a clear but very windy day. Maura was a bit concerned about the wind messing up her hair. So her mom just took a few photos before they started heading back. This certainly was no place for a duck. Do you see any other ducks hanging out in Montauk? I didn't think so. It was a forbidding environment for a domesticated duck like Maura. All the salty air. The wind. All the sand that would get caught in her down. It was time to go home, Maura thought to herself.
Was this the diner used in a scene in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? Maura thought so. She would have to check when they got home.
Maura was indeed a very special and different duck. Simply for the fact that she was made of nylon didn't deter the fact that she required alot of love and affection from her mom and from the people around her. What would happen when her mom wasn't around anymore? That was the question that was on her mom's mind a lot. But Maura was just a happy duck. She did her duck things. She waddled her duck way. She just didn't have normal duck thoughts. She was indeed very special.
Maura and her mom went to central park to sit on one of those big rocks. They ate lunch together. Some crackers and cheese for Maura. Maura sure likes those cracked pepper water crackers... A Vietnamese sandwich for her mom.
They went around a bit, watching some of the softball players. Maura didn't know much about softball. Neither did her mom.
On Sunday, Maura wanted to take her mom to Montauk, out in Long Island. Maura and her mom had never been out to Long Island before (Does Queens count?). Here is Maura on the train very excited about the trip. How many ducks do you know who enjoy travelling around by train?
Maura and her mom wandered around town, and went out to the beach. It was a clear but very windy day. Maura was a bit concerned about the wind messing up her hair. So her mom just took a few photos before they started heading back. This certainly was no place for a duck. Do you see any other ducks hanging out in Montauk? I didn't think so. It was a forbidding environment for a domesticated duck like Maura. All the salty air. The wind. All the sand that would get caught in her down. It was time to go home, Maura thought to herself.
Was this the diner used in a scene in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? Maura thought so. She would have to check when they got home.
Maura was indeed a very special and different duck. Simply for the fact that she was made of nylon didn't deter the fact that she required alot of love and affection from her mom and from the people around her. What would happen when her mom wasn't around anymore? That was the question that was on her mom's mind a lot. But Maura was just a happy duck. She did her duck things. She waddled her duck way. She just didn't have normal duck thoughts. She was indeed very special.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
2009-04-12 Chronicles of Maura, April 12, 2009
It was going to be another eventful weekend for Maura. How often did she get to go out on a road trip for so many weekends in a row back in San Francisco? Not that often. It wasn't that she hated being indoors. She enjoyed the comfort of a warm bed, high speed internet access, and a refrigerator stocked with goodies. Maura liked to be around her mom. It was just an added bonus when she would be able to see new places and learn about new things with her mom. This weekend, Maura and her mom were going down to Princeton to visit her uncle. Her mom's plan was to do a bit of shopping with her uncle.
Here is a view from the train down to Princeton Junction from New York Penn Station. The trip costs only about $10 each way. Ducks can travel for free of course. Maura enjoyed watching all the buildings and forests and ponds as they whizzed by. I think this is the town of Brunswick.
After Maura and her mom arrived at the train station, they waited for uncle to arrive to pick them up. The weather was very nice, and the trees were starting to blossom. Here are some of the photos nearby the station.
Maura is staring off into the nearby thicket of trees. She is wary of going out there all alone. There might be ticks out there.
Maura is naturally drawn to the pond. Instinct really. She knows better to dip her webbed feet into the water though. She likes to swim in properly chlorinated swimming pools.
Here is Maura sitting on her mom's lap in the car. They went to Ikea to pick up some furniture for uncle Shige.
And here is Uncle Shige posing in front of the New York Stock Exchange.
Here is a view from the train down to Princeton Junction from New York Penn Station. The trip costs only about $10 each way. Ducks can travel for free of course. Maura enjoyed watching all the buildings and forests and ponds as they whizzed by. I think this is the town of Brunswick.
After Maura and her mom arrived at the train station, they waited for uncle to arrive to pick them up. The weather was very nice, and the trees were starting to blossom. Here are some of the photos nearby the station.
Maura is staring off into the nearby thicket of trees. She is wary of going out there all alone. There might be ticks out there.
Maura is naturally drawn to the pond. Instinct really. She knows better to dip her webbed feet into the water though. She likes to swim in properly chlorinated swimming pools. 
Here is Maura sitting on her mom's lap in the car. They went to Ikea to pick up some furniture for uncle Shige. 
And here is Uncle Shige posing in front of the New York Stock Exchange.
Monday, April 6, 2009
2009-04-05 Chronicles of Maura, April 5, 2009
It looked to be another exciting weekend for Maura! There was nothing that Maura looked forward to more than a weekend with her mom. Who else would take her to all sorts of neat places such as parks and museums. The weather was a bit windy on Saturday, but it sure beat being cooped up in the office and watching re-runs of Star Trek and some nature programming.
Maura and her mom decided to walk around New York and try to go up Manhattan as they could on foot. Of course, Maura stayed in the backpack, periodically sticking her head out to see the sights. It was her mom who did most of the walking. Here, they walk through the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center. Especially during the wintertime, it is nice to sit under the nice palm trees under the glass roof while there is a raging snowstorm outside. You get a very nice appreciation for having a place to be - a place where you can keep warm and secure. That place almost reminds us of a security blanket or toy that we have all had as children.
A view of the Winter Garden from the rear
Maura and her mom wandered further through West Village. Here are some of the neat buildings along the way.
This is Bank Street. During the summer, it must be lovely having all the shade trees.
They both trekked further up to 14th street. Here, Maura and her mom decide to make a quick detour through Chelsea Markets. Chelsea Markets is a really cool place - it used to be an old brick warehouse or something, but then it was converted into a very cool upscale place with many markets and restaurants. One of Maura's favorite stores is the Italian market that sells foods imported from Italy. Maura has many good memories of visiting Italy!
Much of the afternoon was a blur. Maura and her mom walked all the way up to 125th street before crossing over through Harlem and then down to the northern end of Central Park. Then they proceeded to march southward through the wooded areas.
Maura poked her head out of the backpack to tell her mom that she would like to get out of the backpack to take a rest. Her mom decided to carry her in a hand-held shopping bag. That way, Maura could poke her head out and watch the scenery.
Here the flowers started blooming in force. Very nice!
Maura got to see all kinds of new and interesting places - places that she has never been to before.
Maura squealed in delight when she saw the daffodils in bloom. Maura had many fond memories of playing amongst the blooming narcissi while she and her mom lived in San Francisco. These are such pretty flowers, and there are so many different variations of daffodils. Ruffled cups, doubled cups, two-tones, etc.
Overall, a very lovely day for Maura. She will cherish these memories for a long time - or atleast until she and her mom go out again on another weekend trek!
On Sunday, Maura's mom had to go into work to meet with Becky. Becky was returning to London to work out of the Peterborough Court office in her new role. Since the weather was so nice, Maura insisted on coming along. Here is Becky posing with Maura.
On Monday, Becky had to fly out to London. Maura didn't come along. But here are some photos of Maura's friend, Hatschamulabu. Hatschamulabu is a lovely monkey who Maura really enjoyed being with. Unfortunately, Hatschamulabu will be in London. However, this gives Maura an excuse to go and visit Becky and Hatschamulabu at their new flat.
Maura and her mom decided to walk around New York and try to go up Manhattan as they could on foot. Of course, Maura stayed in the backpack, periodically sticking her head out to see the sights. It was her mom who did most of the walking. Here, they walk through the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center. Especially during the wintertime, it is nice to sit under the nice palm trees under the glass roof while there is a raging snowstorm outside. You get a very nice appreciation for having a place to be - a place where you can keep warm and secure. That place almost reminds us of a security blanket or toy that we have all had as children.
A view of the Winter Garden from the rear
Maura and her mom wandered further through West Village. Here are some of the neat buildings along the way.
This is Bank Street. During the summer, it must be lovely having all the shade trees.
They both trekked further up to 14th street. Here, Maura and her mom decide to make a quick detour through Chelsea Markets. Chelsea Markets is a really cool place - it used to be an old brick warehouse or something, but then it was converted into a very cool upscale place with many markets and restaurants. One of Maura's favorite stores is the Italian market that sells foods imported from Italy. Maura has many good memories of visiting Italy!
Much of the afternoon was a blur. Maura and her mom walked all the way up to 125th street before crossing over through Harlem and then down to the northern end of Central Park. Then they proceeded to march southward through the wooded areas.
Maura poked her head out of the backpack to tell her mom that she would like to get out of the backpack to take a rest. Her mom decided to carry her in a hand-held shopping bag. That way, Maura could poke her head out and watch the scenery.
Here the flowers started blooming in force. Very nice!
Maura got to see all kinds of new and interesting places - places that she has never been to before.
Maura squealed in delight when she saw the daffodils in bloom. Maura had many fond memories of playing amongst the blooming narcissi while she and her mom lived in San Francisco. These are such pretty flowers, and there are so many different variations of daffodils. Ruffled cups, doubled cups, two-tones, etc.
Overall, a very lovely day for Maura. She will cherish these memories for a long time - or atleast until she and her mom go out again on another weekend trek!
On Sunday, Maura's mom had to go into work to meet with Becky. Becky was returning to London to work out of the Peterborough Court office in her new role. Since the weather was so nice, Maura insisted on coming along. Here is Becky posing with Maura.
On Monday, Becky had to fly out to London. Maura didn't come along. But here are some photos of Maura's friend, Hatschamulabu. Hatschamulabu is a lovely monkey who Maura really enjoyed being with. Unfortunately, Hatschamulabu will be in London. However, this gives Maura an excuse to go and visit Becky and Hatschamulabu at their new flat.
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