Safety Shoes, Long Runs, Creativity, Poker (and Euchre!)

I finally got some safety shoes for myself last week for working in the Pits!  Hooray for not having to borrow shoes way too big for my feet!  Plus, they are super stylish.  (And no one will steal them...)

My safety shoes.  Size 4 UK sizes.  The tag for them read "Safety for Ladies"

Last Thursday, I hosted Poker night at my place for some of the Formula Student team.  Sagar made some Indian/Mexican fusion dish and I made guacamole.  While he was cooking, I taught Quirin, Ryan and Richard how to play Euchre.  Quirin was my partner, and he and I won the game.  It was fun to bring a bit of the Midwest to the UK.  Then, they taught me how to play Texas Hold 'Em Poker, which I never really learned at home.  It was fun, but dragged on (kinda like Monopoly).  I had fun though, and I think I have a better idea of how to play for next time.... (yeah, I totally lost).

Quirin shuffles the cards for poker.  He won overall.

The poker game

On Saturday, I went with Ruth from work to Leamington to go shopping.  We walked around for a few hours, and I tried on some clothes and got a couple of tank tops for the warmer weather we've been having!  Saturday afternoon, I went for about a 5 mile run on some trails in Kenilworth that I discovered from biking home from campus last week.  Some people at church had told me about them, but I hadn't gone out to find them until last week.  The weather has been ABSOLUTELY gorgeous these past few days, so I plan on biking to and from campus as much as I can.

On Sunday, I went to church and got some Rocket from Jan that she grew in her allotment.  I've looked up a pesto recipe for it and I am planning on trying it this week sometime!  I also did a 12 mile long run (last 9 miles with Diresh).  The middle 10K I ran with Diresh we did in about 46 minutes, which is a good sign for the Leamington 10K on the 15th of April.   I also just heard about a possible 20K race on April 21 that I might try to do....

 Sunday night, Jim and Andy from the Formula Student team had a BBQ at their place, near campus in Coventry, so I went there and hung out, and played video games for a bit.

Andy watches while Jim and Sagar race.

I've also been working on my EngD as well!  I've been having meetings with three other first year EngD students, Claire, Nick and Matt, about some group projects that are required.  We have tentatively decided to research the area of fuel cells and try to find ideas there.  We are signed up for an Engineering competition in May as a group and we need to have an idea solidified by then.  I'm excited at the prospect of being able to use some of my previous Master's degree knowledge for a part of my EngD.

I did a webinar last week on PTC's Windchill software, which is a PLM package that has a lot of exciting features I could see working for the Formula Student group.  I am working now on trying to figure a way to work with this as part of my research for my EngD.  I've been inspired a bit by this blog posting this week : http://www.gwarlingo.com/2012/how-creativity-works-jonah-lehrer/ on how creativity works.  I am trying to take some of the points to heart as I think about where I am going with my research.

Overall, I'm keeping pretty busy!  Aurelie is home in Switzerland for the next month, so the flat is a bit lonely, but I don't think I'm going to get bored.  That rarely happens... :)