Thanksgiving day walk with long time friends/classmates

Walked 5 miles with my long time friends and classmates of 24 years and saw bikers and kayakers
—  at Great Falls Park.

A Musical Comedy: Broadway Christmas Carol

Watched a delightful comedy adapted from the classic story: Broadway Christmas Carol, "Weaving together spellbinding spectacle, riveting dialogue, astonishing puppetry, " and several creative and funny scenes
— at Metro Stage.

Utlimate travel - outer space

I just watched the movie Interstellar in IMAX at Tysons AMC. The story was about a team of astronauts who travel through a wormhole in search of a new habitable planet, much further than Mars. Go see the movie yourself, because I do not want to spoil the story here.

My biggest dream is to travel to Mars, although one-way travel takes 7 months and high radiation from the nuclear reactor. Mars One will establish a permanent human settlement on Mars. Crews of four will depart every two years, starting in 2024. Mars One will start new selection programs regularly, so people like me can apply for subsequent astronaut selection programs. The first unmanned mission will be launched in 2018. http://www.mars-one.com/#sthash.1kpwXg8E.dpuf

Bike fitting in Herndon

Spent $150 USD and two hours on a Guru computer simulatorat at Green Lizard Cycling, LLC.
to fit my touring bike for cycling across US. My bike and me become one!  It cost 3.5 cent per mile to ride 4232 miles comfortably. Btw, one friend told me that US routes have aggressive car drivers. I need to look into trans Canada, 4630 miles though.

The fitting master/genius les welch is very famous in the community and referred to me via a semi professional cyclist. He can manually fit and cost $100, but the computer aided simulator speeded up the process to fit the most heathy and efficient settings of my biking, then he adjusted my bike accordingly. Les made four major changes to the bike, in addition to the tension of the seat. He also replaced the handlebar post to make the handlebar closer to me so I can bike with the right weight distribution. 

It takes a lot of experience to come up the settings based on my body and bike limitations. I bought my bike with a front rack at $800, about half price of msrp, so I can invest in fitting to make me comfortable for the long ride. The computer fitting costs 225-250 in DC, but I  persuaded the owner David to charge me $150, because he gave me the price before the marathon/computer system and I was too busy to go, and les happened to have an opening on that cool winter afternoon.

The link to Guru bike fitting system that provides an wide range of motion and real-time adjustment to create the perfect fit http://www.gurucycling.com/technology/#guru-tech-prompt1

Hard to get up in cold winter for a long hike

But, glad I hiked from Nicholson Hollow to Stony Man--16 Strenuous Miles in with 3900 ft elevation gains
— at Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA.

Comedy: There Is a Happiness That Morning

Walked around and watched a literate & sexy comedy about teachers behaving like horny students, and enjoyed the surprising ending
— at The Village at Shirlington.

"Two William Blake scholars are forced to apologize to their classes for their scandalous public hookup if they want to save their jobs. Maher wrote the play entirely in Blake-like couplets.

An inspiring cycling movie that motivated me to cycle across US

Chatting with my old friend visiting from Taiwan, and I suddenly remembered 

this movie that motivated me to cycle across US in summer 2015. "The Hill" 

adapted from the best-selling book of the same name, the original record of 

more than 2000 kilometers of riding, Hsieh reach Tibet journey , advocating 

freedom of wandering this story so many young people aspire to . 

Movie "The Hill" trying to convey is a force gives of dreams and unyielding. 

October 30, 2011, the 24th Tokyo International Film Festival closing , 

" the Hill " won Best Artistic Contribution Award ¬ . 

(here is the youtube link to the movie in Chinese with English Subtitle)

《转山》改编自同名畅销书，原著记录了作者谢旺霖骑行2000多公里到达西藏的旅程，­这个崇尚自由的流浪故事令无数年轻人向往。电影《转山》想传达给人的是一股梦想和不屈­的力量。2011年10月30日下午，第24届东京国际电影节闭幕，《转山》获得最佳­艺术贡献奖。

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_fN1je-Czo

Completed A 3.5 hr long play

Watched the 3.5 hr play THE INTELLIGENT HOMOSEXUAL’S GUIDE To CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM WITH A KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES. longest ever play I finished. One more hour I can run another marathon.
— at Jewish Community Center.

"When retired longshoreman and lifelong Communist Gus summons his three adult children to their Brooklyn home to explain why he’s selling the family brownstone and ending his life, things don’t go exactly as planned. The children bring their own dramas; Pill and his husband are stumbling as an old flame resurfaces; Empty and her wife are squabbling as they await the birth of their child; and Vic is confronting long-buried truths. A deeply emotional battle over what makes life worth living from Tony, Obie, Emmy and Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner in a newly updated epic making its DC premiere."

My 1st Staged reading at Austrain Embassy

Watched a staged reading of "Don Juan Comes Back from the War". The 12 actresses were way more attractive than the only actor playing Don Juan.

Besides being a typical womanizer, this Don Juan was in the right time and right place after World War One where there was a shortage of men. 

 I had a photo taken with the actress who played the key role in the comedy Orlando — at Austrian Cultural Forum Washington.

Testing my biking shoes with a 54 miles ride

Biked 54 miles today round trip between Falls Church and Leesburg. Felt exhausted but got all pumped up for my 28 week training to cycle across United States in summer 2015. For my female friends, many hot studs stopped to ask how I was doing when laying my bicycle on a slop to rest ; )
— at W&OD Trail.

Laser Tag on my birthday

Tried laser tag on my birthday. I did not expect the kids could be aggressive and parents be mean. Just kidding. Had great time and will do again with better strategies.
— at Laser Tag Manassas.

George Washington National Forest: Little Sluice! An Easy Side of Stren13 Mile hike

It was a warm-up hike after a bad cold. I am so ready for a new year of my life.

Also, I made some new friends during this hike, especially the legendary PJ.


Activity Type: Hiking
Nearby City: Maurertown
Length: 13 total miles
Elevation Gain: 2,100 ft with three different ascents
Trail Type: Loop
Skill Level: Strenuous

Indian Dance Festival in DC

Enjoyed the fabulous Indian dance expressed 9 emotions and ancient poems two nights in a roll
— at Sidney Harman Hall.

All Souls' Day celerbration in Mexican style

Enjoyed Mexican dance, live mariachi band, hot chocolate, and bread of death. The holiday for the death is a catholic holiday on 11/2 which has nothing to do with Halloween, according to a lady from Spain. After the dance performance, people danced and sang Mexican song for over half an hour with the mariachi band
— at Arlington Arts Center.

"All Souls' Day is a day of prayer for the dead, particularly but not exclusively one's relatives. In Western Christianity the annual celebration is now held on 2 November and is associated with All Saints' Day (1 November) and its vigil, Halloween (31 October). In the liturgical books of the western Catholic Church (the Latin Church) it is called The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, and is celebrated annually on 2 November, even if this date falls on a Sunday."