Category: Well-being

Mosquito Bite Relief

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We have a new (to us) way of dealing with itchy mosquito bites: the hot spoon! And it works great for instant mosquito bite relief! Basically, you heat up a spoon and then press that hot spoon on the bite for a minute or so. That usually kills the itchiness for the entire day for me. The next day, the itchiness might return, in which case I just reapply the hot spoon. The itchiness hasn’t returned to me after that.

In one article I read, they recommend putting the spoon under a hot faucet to heat it up. But I just put the spoon over a hot stove for a few seconds, then letting it cool a bit so that it is still hot, but not (too) painful.

Before using the hot spoon technique for mosquito bite relief, I’ve tried the scotch tape method, meat tenderizer method (old school!), and also applying an anti-itch liquid called “muhi”, but I’ve found the spoon method to be the best! Give it a try next time and let me know how it works for you!

Runner’s High?

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The phenomenon of a “Runner’s High” is well-known and something that I’ve wondered about for a long time. In fact, every time I go running I think about it, usually around the 30-minute mark when I start struggling a bit. I’m not sure, but I am pretty certain I haven’t ever experienced a runner’s high. There have been times when I have been running and my legs have a lot of energy and the running becomes almost effortless. This fits some descriptions of a runner’s high, but it’s not really the euphoria I expect. It seemed like that was more from just the muscles getting used to the strain.

Maybe I am being silly but I keep expecting for my mind to suddenly become clear, be filled with energy and a feeling of well-being, and everything will be right in the world. But so far that hasn’t happened. At any rate, I’ll continue to look forward to that elusive “Runner’s High”, even though it might never come.

Lunchtime Run

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Running Path
Photo info: SAMSUNG SGH-T999, 3.7mm, f/2.6, 1/2500 sec, ISO80
 Running Path

On my work-at-home day this week I went on a lunchtime run around the neighborhood. Every time I start running I have to gauge the condition of my left knee to make sure I am not putting too much stress on it. It’s still not 100% (I’d say it’s around 80%) and I don’t want to have any setbacks. Wow, I sound like a baseball player coming off the DL! But seriously, being injured and not being able to run really sucked. Just not having the option to run is so depressing!

That leads me to something I learned while I was a member of Koko Fit Club. The audio coaches there had some great motivational quotes that they would pass on. One of them was,

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
-John Wooden

I decided then that I didn’t want to let a lack of physical fitness be a barrier to enjoying life. It’s a little different concept from what John Wooden meant, but it’s something that I want to keep in mind.

Below is another photo I took at the start of my run. The weather was so nice that day that I had to walk for a little bit while I took photos. But that was the only time I walked! The past couple months, I’d have to walk, run, walk with Koa. I called it “Run-walking”. I was pretty amazed that this time I had so much energy and the knee was pain-free so I ran the whole route. I could tell that the knee wasn’t back to normal, so I had to keep the pace extra-smooth and cautious. Still it’s a great feeling to have that sense of freedom again!

Nice Clouds
Photo info: SAMSUNG SGH-T999, 3.7mm, f/2.6, 1/7800 sec, ISO80
 Nice Clouds

Tying Knots

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I think it is important to keep learning new things throughout your life, in order to keep your mind active, plus it also can be a lot of fun! Normally I think people would think of learning things like a new language, playing a musical instrument, or some new job skill. I think that is great, but I am talking specifically about smaller, more easily digestible skills. For instance, I recently learned how to tie some really useful knots! Yes, knots!

Maybe if you were a boy scout you know these already, but I was not a boy scout growing up. However, I do love camping, and these knots would come in handy at the campsite. Rather than telling you how to do them, I’ll just link to the page over at The Art of Manliness which has all the videos (they are simple and well-done). I learned how to tie:

  • The Bow Line: Create a super-strong loop at the end of a rope.
  • The Taut Line: Create an adjustable loop at the end of a rope. This would be perfect for securing your tent to the tent stakes, since you can tighten up the rope at a later time without having to re-tie it or move the stake.
  • The Sheet Bend: Great for tying two ropes together to make a longer rope.

These are pretty easy knots to learn but I think they are good to know. And it’s a great feeling to learn a new skill, no matter how small it may seem!

Taking Notes

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I was chatting with a friend/coworker today about 2014 resolutions and goals. Not really work-related, but just in general. Besides the usual “eat healthier” stuff, we talked about quotes and words of wisdom and found that we were both collecting them. I’ve actually been doing this for several months now. I think it’s nice way to get inspired later on by reviewing all these notes.

A nice tool to help collect these nuggets is Evernote. The reason it is so great is that when something pops into my mind or I hear something cool in a podcast, I can instantly click on the Evernote widget on my phone and add a note which gets saved to the cloud. Or if I am driving, I can click on the audio icon and just make a voice recording. Later at my desktop I can organize the jotted down notes using the Evernote desktop client or Web client. I find that always having a (growing) collection of inspirational quotes is helpful to keep my life headed in a positive direction. Whatever note-taking solution you use, make sure it is easy to use and then you are more apt to take advantage of it. A note that just gets lost or forgotten is useless. Like I said, I use Evernote, but there are other great solutions out there like Microsoft OneNote, Springpad, or even a Moleskine and pencil. Just pick one and stick to it!

My next step is to somehow be able to display these notes on my tablet’s homescreen. Sort of like a random photo tile. I wonder if it can me done using Microsoft’s Siena app creator?