Thanksgiving Day Recap...

For the first time in 27 years, I spent Thanksgiving away from family.  It was tough not being around them, and I was definitely not prepared for the "festivities" I experienced.  Initially, I was going to travel to San Diego to spend Thanksgiving with my friend Dan.  He called me about two weeks before Turkey Day to let me know that he may be coming up to SF instead.  I was fine with whatever and he came up to San Fran.  Some of his friends were hosting Thanksgiving in the city so we made our way there instead.

On Thanksgiving morning we prepared our dishes for the 1:00 p.m. "dinner."  I was making a dessert and drink. Dan made some homemade macaroni and cheese.  My two offerings contained alcohol, tuaca to be specific, Dan's dish did not.  I made monkey bread and added tuaca to the glaze that accompanies the pull-apart dessert. I then made an apple cider with tuaca and fresh cut apples soaked in a solution of tuaca and cinnamon.  I also brought a bunch of wine and the elements necessary to make White Russians.

We arrived at Union St. a little after 1:00 p.m. and entered the apartment complex.  We had booze and food in hand.  What I entered is not at all what I expected.  I was expecting there to be some more gays (we are in SF mind you).  Dan was the only one.  Everyone there was newly married, engaged, or hooking up with one another.  Dan and I were some of the first few people to enter the apartment.  We added our alcohol to the already overflowing table and broke out the cider.  I will quote the owner of the apartment Tucker, "It is dangerously delicious!"  The cider went hard!!

I could tell this would not be my typical Thanksgiving dinner with family.  The booze was flowing plentifully and the food was just an after thought.  The turkey and the trimmings were ready around 3:00 p.m., but it is safe to say that almost everyone was intoxicated by that point.  That is right.  All 15 people shit-faced.  3:00 p.m.  People ate but really to just try and soak up alcohol.  A magnum bottle of horrible wine appeared at some point and was ultimately consumed by many of the women present.  This shortly lead to more than turkey breasts being exposed if you know what I mean.  By the way, there is nothing more uncomfortable than having a conversation with a guy while his wife is running around and flashing her tits.  It is just awkward.

The festivities continued on for quite some time.  There was a little bit of a dance party after the coffee table was moved.  The evening pretty much ended with an impromptu food fight that spurned from miscommunication.  I really needed to pee and joined a married couple in the bathroom while they showered with one another.  Not to mention, I learned what an "old-fashioned" was.

All in all a good Thanksgiving.  I hear they have a kick-ass Super Bowl party.  I can only hope that I am invited.

Until next time...

-Justin

Russian River Excursion...

I went to a happy hour with some friends from work a while back.  I ordered their beer sampler.  It was insane!!  I was not expecting so many beers.  The most I have ever had in a beer sampler was 7 at DuClaws.  They brought out 14!!  My reviews are below.  (Caution: The more I drank, the more truth came out.)

• aud blonde (4.5) - not bad. had better. a little hoppy. 
• little white lie (5.5) - odd after taste. not my favorite. 
• redemption (4.8) - got lost after drinking the white ale. nothing spectacular. 
• pliny the elder (8) - smooth for a 2x ipa. One of my favs fo realzy. 
• Temptation (7) - tastes like white wine. Interesting. Good thing I like wine more. 
• Hopfather (7) - does not lie about the hoppiness. Not too shabby. Prob would not order. 
• Gaffers (5.27) - tastes like water at this point. 
• Russian River porter (5.7) -had much better porters. 
• Russian river ipa (6.7) - losing taste buds. Don't remember. Don't care. 
• Blind Pig ipa (6) - similar to sierra nevada pale ale. Good stuff. Would def get again. 
• Sanctification (6.75) - tastes like a cider. Not a fan. At all. 
• Supplication (7) - another beer soaked in wine casks. I hate these kinds of beers. They suck. 
• Consecration (10) - I am going to hate this, but will drink anyway. Just as I expected. It was awful. 
• Damnation (7) - a good one to end on. Not the greatest but did not taste like wine.

The number in parentheses are the alcohol percentages of each beer.  A quick recap: Pliny the Elder was the best by far.  The beers soaked in wine taste like piss.

Until next time...

-justin

October = Horror/Monster Movie Month...Part II

The second part to my movie watching of this month.

Day of the Dead (Remake) - UGH... Why do people keep ruining George A. Romero films?  Nick Cannon and Mena Suvari.  What a disaster.  Also, how is Ving Rhames a major player in the Dawn of the Dead remake and then a completely separate character in this movie who doesn't last long.  I just don't get it.  George please stop allowing people to destroy your classics.  The only similarities to this movie and the original are there were doctors and military personnel.  Even the zombies in the remake are some how super zombies that can run and jump and other ridiculous crap.  Save your time and do not even bother.

Suspiria - I first came across Dario Argento movies last year with Phenomena.  A great movie!!  This one was a little slow in the beginning and the pace picked up as it continued, similar to Phenomena.  I appreciated that the evil in this movie was quite different than most films that I have seen.  It is worth the time to watch.  Decent plot with some good freak out moments.

Tokyo Gore Police - There are subtitles to this one and it really is not a horror movie.  However, there is tons of gore just like the title of the movie suggests.  When I say gore I mean just crazy amounts of corn syrup flying everywhere.  And when I say flying I mean gushing like Niagara Falls.  It is just spraying in every which direction. Overall movie was not all that good.  Interesting concept just not delivered well.

Phantasm II - Alrighty now.  A sequel that is actually better than the original.  The first one moved too slow for me.  This one picks up right where the first left off and keeps on running...fast.  The Tall Man has more of a role and there are more spheres.  Reggie becomes a more pivotal character and some nice ass kicking ensues.  The four barreled sawed off shotgun and homemade flamethrower are nice touches.  A definite watch.  In fact, just skip the first one and start here.

Phantasm III - A franchise that I really enjoy.  This one again picks up where the second one stopped.  Reggie is trying to save Michael with the help of his younger brother who was caught in a sphere.  Also, joining the crew is a young sharpshooter of a boy and a ninja-esque African-American women.  The ragtag team finds Michael and continues to pursue the Tall Man to try and eliminate him permanently.  Another movie I am glad I decided to watch.  Good humor mixed with horror.  Make sure to watch.

Ginger Snaps - A pretty good allegory for what it means to be a teenager.  Challenges galore going through puberty let alone the fact you are slowly turning into a werewolf.  Poor Ginger is half-eaten by a lichen but somehow survives her wounds and then eventually turns into a beast herself.  She gradually becomes more violent and rebellious during her transformation, but what teenager doesn't?  Meanwhile her poor sister is also struggling to make it through puberty and high school all the while being blamed for her sister, Ginger's, antics.  Not a bad film.  I recommend.

Some more movies will be coming soon...

Until next time...

-Justin

October = Horror/Monster Movie Month

Photo is from
socyberty.com/holidays/jack-o-lanterns-masterpieces/

So a couple years ago, I started a tradition of trying to watch at least one horror/monster film a day during the month of October.  This new tradition was a way to replace getting dressed up and celebrating Halloween like I used to in the past.  This October is no different.  I am in the midst of movie month and severely behind on my one movie a day challenge.  I am comfortable with that and plan to kick my watching into high gear as Halloween draws closer.  I also want to throw out there that Netflix is a godsend for something like this.  It makes it so much easier to find older movies.  And an added plus is you can stream most of these movies directly to your TV.  Reviews of recent movies:


The Haunting of Molly Hartley - Not bad but not great either.  The ending leaves a lot to be desired.  I would only watch this movie if you are desperate.  Definitely directed at a teenage crowd.

Candyman - An extreme upgrade to the first movie on this list.  Has a little bit of everything in it.  Supernatural, slasher, and psychological all mixed into one package.  If only they could of added a zombie or two.  A definite recommend.

The People Under the Stairs - I found this to be more comical than anything else.  Ving Rhames is unintentionally hysterical and I have never seen a dog take as much abuse as it did in this movie.  Nothing really scary about this movie except how crazy the couple is who own the home where the majority of the movie is set.

S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale - A total disappointment of a movie.  The writer of Donnie Darko should sue this person to have the name Donnie Darko removed from the title.  S. Darko is a disgrace to the ingenious of the original movie.

Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter - An extremely low budget film that I needed to turn off halfway through.  I just could not get past the horrible plot, dialogue, acting.  Everything in this movie was just bad.  I was hoping for a movie similar to Evil Dead in the nature of a low budget cult film.  I was dreadfully wrong.

The Wolfman - I fell asleep midway through and had no desire to finish watching.  That is all I really need to say about this one.

Hellraiser - I was a fooled by advertisements I have seen about the Hellraiser movies.  I thought that Pinhead would have a more pivotal role in this movie, even the Cenobites, but they were more of an afterthought at times.  The effects were pretty good along with the concept itself.  I put a couple more of these in my queue to see what the franchise has to hold.

Sleepaway Camp - One of the better movies I have seen so far this month.  Made in the early 80's, the outfits worn by the cast are enough reason to see this movie.  I enjoy how the film made the viewer infer what happened to the characters in the movie and was not heavy on blood and gore.  The twist at the end was epic and absolutely hilarious all at the same time.  I fully recommend this movie.

The Thing - John Carpenter knows how to make movies and this movie is no exception.  Lots of suspense, great special effects (especially for its time), and an extremely strong psychological aspect to the film.  The characters do not know who to trust.  Even though we are not stranded in the Antarctic, we struggle with this everyday of our lives.

Trick 'r Treat - A movie that was released straight to DVD that strands together four separate stories about Halloween tales.  A little bit of everything is tossed into this movie.  I wish there was some more about the actual Halloween myths/legends/background that was the foundation for the movie.  Also, some of the story lines left a lot of questions that were never fully answered.  Still a good view.

Movies to come - Ginger Snaps, The Abyss, Phantasm II, Leprechaun, Critters, The Blob

In my three years of doing this, I have watched over 100 movies in the months of October alone.  I have seen a little bit from all genres: slashers, horror, monster, ghost, possessions, zombies, psychological, supernatural, and so forth.  My favorites of all time: Evil Dead Series, Rosemary's Baby, Shaun of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead (original),  The Shining, Halloween (original).

Until next time...

-Justin

A Day in the Life...

Holy shit it has been a long time since I have posted anything.  Work has been all consuming, and I have been too lazy in the meantime.  Some things since my last post: I am now 27; Sorority recruitment & IFC recruitment leading to almost 500 new members in the F/S community; David Coleman came to campus; Ali and I have a bedroom set & a new flat screen tv; and, more.  However, this post is about a day in my life...

On weekdays, I tend to rise around 7:00 a.m.  Then it is a typical prep for the rest of the morning: shower, brush teeth, get dressed, do my hair, and so forth.  There is usually some type of caffeine consumption either home brewed or unfortunately Starbucks purchased.  Then the drive...

My commute is almost always an hour door-to-door.  Some days it is longer because of traffic.  The convenience of my trip is that it is reverse commute.  The rest of world is trying to cram itself into San Francisco either from the North, East, or South Bay areas.  Fortunately for me, not too many people are trying to escape to the Santa Rosa area for work.

The drive provides a nice cross-section of America.  I leave a major metropolitan area and have the pleasure of crossing a true American landmark every morning, The Golden Gate Bridge.  The hustle and bustle of the city is no where near the chaos of the Northeast atmosphere, but it still provides enough craziness to remind me that I am in a city of over 700,000 people.  It is almost always a foggy mess in the morning and drivers who do not cross the GG regularly are clearly identified.  They are squeamish and quickly move over to the far right lane in the worry that oncoming traffic may crossover and create a head on collision.

Soon after the bridge is the Rainbow Tunnel.  After coming out the other side, the sky parts and the sun comes beaming through to brighten my day.  The glare can be a bitch sometimes, but the sunshine is definitely welcomed.  It is almost as if the sun is trying to wake me up a second time and prepare me for the new day.  The next section of my drive highlights the suburbia of a major city.  I drive 101 which is a major thoroughfare and is surrounded by towns and cities on either side.  The small towns are modern and have all the amenities of major cities, public transit and Best Buy.

My trek continues north and soon I am in dairy country.  The lanes on 101 gradually reduce from four with a commuter lane to two.  The smell begins to become more rural as the "Sonoma Aroma" of cows and their flatulence fills the air.  It can be unpleasant at times, but it is also a nice reminder of the diversity of socioeconomic status that is prevalent only within an hour stretch of driving.  The last twenty minutes of my drive are surrounded by cow pastures on either side, and small snippets of smaller towns trying their best to elevate their status to somewhat modern.

My final few minutes of my commute lead me to a small college town that has not completely embraced its university.  There is no doubt that the economic situation of Rohnert Park has been enhanced because of the 8000 college students who work, live, and purchase in this area.  The left side of the offramp is a burgeoning area with shopping, movies, and strip malls.  The right side, which leads to SSU, is primarily residential and sectioned off communities that seemingly want nothing to do with SSU.  The short drive down Rohnert Park Expressway bypasses the homes and leads to more fields and farms that hint to the past of this farming community.  The final right turn onto campus is the beginning of meetings, planning sessions, emails, and more.  Sometime between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., I am able to leave and return to the city.  A reverse of my drive, and a demonstration of the colonization and evolution of America.

Until next time...

-Justin

Some Notes About Moving-In...

It is that time of year again.  College students are making their way to campuses across America to move-in to their new homes for the next academic year.  I remember my first move-in almost a decade ago at a small, private college in the colonial town of Gettysburg.  Since August of 2001, I have been a part of many move-ins as a resident and staff.  This is the first year where I have not had some type of formal responsibility on move-in day.  So I decided to write some words of wisdom to the students, and parents, who are going through move-in:

Timing - Most schools will give students a particular time or window of time to move-in.  Please stick to this time!!  The reason you are given this is to help with the flow of traffic and reduce the amount of congestion in certain areas of campus.  Trying to arrive at 7:00 a.m. so you can have your pick on the side of the room is a couple things: a) a douche bag move; b) creates more havoc than necessary; and, c) you are using supplies that someone else should be using during that time.  Which leads me to the next item...


Cart - Do not count on the school having some type of cart or conveyance to help you move your stuff.  Because of the jackasses above, more than likely, one of them has taken your time slot and therefore a parking location and/or supplies that may have been available to you.  This means further to carry items and without mechanical assistance.

After many move-ins, I invested in a cart through permanently borrowing one.  This has been one of the smartest decisions I have made.  There is nothing like using minimal energy to carry in many bins and boxes.  This allows one to responsibly sip alcohol later because there is remaining arm strength to lift the can or glass.  Compare this to other consumption methods of bonging or shotgunning which provides quick fixes for tired arms.

Leggings - This is a new phenomenon and one that I cannot quite figure out.  Leggings are now considered pants!!  When I was in college (not that long ago), they were almost exclusively worn by athletes or those exercising.  Leggings should have stayed in this realm.  Young women, if you have to wear leggings, move-in may not be the best option.  You are probably going to be lifting or carrying items because there are no carts left.  This is because of the jackasses not following their move-in time.  This means sweat.  Sweat can accumulate in weird places.  Swamp ass in leggings is not pretty for any one involved.  Let's save the leggings for going out later.


Hydration - This is a key to move-in.  There is going to be sweat.  Move-in almost always seems to fall on the hottest day of the year and residence hall rooms are either not air conditioned or have been sitting stale all summer long.  Sweating is a guarantee.  Make sure to bring water with you.  College campuses like to make money.  You will pay a lot more money to get a bottle of water on campus than you ever would from a grocery or convenience store.  Some campuses may hand out water, which is fantastic.  However in my personal experience, this is quite rare.


Also, contrary to popular belief alcohol, and mainly beer does not hydrate you.  Yes, the cold crispness of a freshly opened beer may instantly cool you to the core, but it is not helpful.  If you need to consume beer, please do so with an equal amount of water.  There are probably some campus policies that you need to be aware of also in regards to alcohol.


College Parties - This last note is for the parents out there.  PLEASE GOOD LORD TO NOT ATTEND A COLLEGE PARTY DURING MOVE-IN!! Do not walk by a party and accept a beer.  Just walk away with your head held high knowing that you are better than the 20 somethings.  As a parent, please set a positive example.  Drinking with students who may be underage is condoning behavior that most campuses have policies against.  Also, parents have been sent to emergency rooms on college campuses during move-ins because they partied too hard!!  It is sad to have a parent who has to have a conversation with the Dean of Students about his/her personal drinking behaviors.  It is embarrassing to your son or daughter.  Please don't let it happen.

If you follow the notes above, you should have a successful move-in.  Just be calm and patient.  It can be easy to get frustrated and upset, but don't.  I promise people are trying to help, but sometimes your "crisis" may not be the highest item on a priority list.  Staffs train and prepare for weeks and months to make move-in go smoothly, but sometimes there are hitches along the way.  Trust me, if you rub staff the wrong way during move-in, they will be talking about you and your family for the rest of the year.  You would then be labeled as one of the jackasses from above.  And this can haunt you for future move-ins.

Until next time...

-Justin

Summer Music Musings....

Diddy and Usher after a club shooting in 2008.
Courtesy of Getty Images.

In a previous post, I talked about how California drivers pretty much suck and that California does not help with its own road situation.  With all of this time on the road, I recently thought more about the music I listen to during my commute.  I have listened primarily to the radio on my rides to and from work and found certain anomalies or interesting personal insights about certain songs or artists that I would like to share.

1. Eminem - I am not a fan of Em, mainly because of the content of his lyrics.  However, you cannot deny the amazingly unique cadence of his rhymes.  It is pure magic to listen to him rap.  I just wish he could find more positive things to rap about.
2. P Diddy or Puff Daddy or Diddy - I am not quite sure what Sean Combs is calling himself anymore, but  one thing for sure is the man knows how to make money.  His new single, Hello Good Morning, is my guilty pleasure of the summer.  The beat line is solid and he threw Jodeci into his rap.  I give anyone respect who can throw a somewhat obscure R&B group into their song and have it actually flow and make sense.
3. Ryan Seacrest - Not really about music, but still relevant.  Ryan is on Star 101.3 as I drive home from work.  Come to find out Ryan is actually pretty funny.  I enjoy him the most when he interviews clueless "celebrities" and Ryan pretty much makes fun of them right to their face.  The best part is they are either a) too dumb to realize it or b) too enamored with Seacrest to care.  Props to you Ryan.
4. Usher - I will go on record to say that Usher is this generation's Michael Jackson.  Is he "the" Michael Jackson?  Definitely not.  But for this generation, this is about as close as they are going to get.
5. Whatever happened to rock music? - I admit the three stations I generally listen to are top 40 stations, but rock bands used to be in that mix.  I reject Rob Thomas, Kris Allen, and Adam Lambert as being "rock representatives."  Where is Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, The Fratellis, White Stripes, and so forth.  They are needed more now than ever.  Poor Kings of Leon is trying to hold down the fort all alone.
6. Kris Allen - He needs a new single, STAT.  Live Like Your Dying is legitimately killing me.  If I need to hear it one more time, I may kill myself.  Also it is eighty-six THOUSAND four hundred seconds in a day, not eighty-six four hundred.  86 400 is only 34,400 seconds.  He is not accounting for 60% of the day.
7. Justin Bieber - Initially I thought he was a girl.  He is not.  I also do not have Bieber Fever.  He is entertaining to listen to, but overall is a pawn in the music scene.  Create a permanent wing for him in a rehab clinic sooner rather than later.  Perhaps him and Lohan can have one named after each of them.
8. Ke$ha - What a joke!  I am not quite sure who told her that she had talent, but wow.  She is one delusional young adult.  She is totally a product of being told, "You're special," everyday by her parents.  I hope that this 15 minutes of fame burns out quickly.  A younger Lady GaGa she is not.  I have seen drag queens who do better impressions of Lady GaGa than Ke$ha does.  Please young Ke$ha, realize the error of your ways and go back to school or get a job before it is too late.

Just some thoughts about the Summer music scene...

In other news, J.E.W. releases a new album on 09/28 called Invented.  I encourage everyone I know to grab a copy.

Until next time...

-Justin

My First Foray into Wine...

This past weekend Ali and I went on a bike tour of various wineries in the Russian River area of Sonoma County.  The tour was through Gears and Grapes, a young company who specializes in bike tours of wineries in Russian River, Napa, and soon Santa Barbara.  They like to take travelers to lesser known wineries where you are able to taste some of the best wine the locations have to offer.  I do not think we tasted anything less than a $40 bottle of wine.  There were ten of us on the trip, four couples and a brother/sister pair from North Carolina. It was definitely an interesting cast of characters.  Our guides, Devin and Sam, were good at what they did, extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and encouraging.

Russian River is known for its Pinot Noirs, a red wine.  Each location provided us with one white, a bunch of Pinots, and then maybe another variety of red to round out the experience.  It became a little redundant over the trip.  We stopped at Gary Farrell, Arista, Twomey, and Mill Creek.  I would definitely say that Mill Creek was the best of the four.  It could have been that I just finished biking over 12 miles for the day and had been drinking wine the whole time, but the wine at Mill Creek was the best by far.  They also provided us with a variety of different wines, something I had been missing throughout the day.  Cab Sav, Chardonnay, Pinot, Syrah, Merlot, and then they finished it off with dark chocolate and a fantastic Port.  Then on top of that they threw in 25% off any wine purchased that day.  Long story short, Ali and I are now a part of their Wine Club and have a new bottle of Chardonnay and Port.  I will need to buy another 2 bottles every 3 months at 25% off.

Going into this, I knew absolutely nothing about wine.  After this trip, I still know nothing about wine.  Well I know that it is not as bad as I thought it was.  I did learn about some cool breweries to visit out here from the pourer at Arista.  So, I will check those out in the future.  The upside of being a part of the Wine Club is now Ali and I have something to do every three months.  We get to drive up to Mill Creek taste some wines and get some edumacation.  We are excited about it.

The trip home was also interesting.  The brother/sister combo was in the van behind Ali and I.  The sister, Katherine, was quite drunk at this point in the later afternoon.  She began to continue to babble about completely irrelevant things.  Her brother, Robert, was clearly embarrassed by her sister's rambling, and Ali and I were trying to not laugh.  Katherine was making some sounds for a little bit.  According to her, they were her triceratops sounds.

What a great way to round out a fun trip.  And to think, I thought it would be Ali making dinosaur sounds before passing out.

Until next time...

-Justin

Driving in the Bay Area...

Now that I have become a regular commuter, I have been irked by the driving situation in the Bay Area.  Luckily, I am in the North Bay and I am doing a reverse commute, so my issues probably aren't as dramatic as others who drive into SF or Oakland each day.  But I have been thinking about these things, each time I get stuck in traffic and I decided to share them with you all.  Just some simple ways that the North Bay can help ease the commute and traffic on its thousands of drivers each day.

• Grass Fires - For three times in the past two weeks there have been severe stoppages because of grass fires.  Each time the fire has been in the same area.  

Solution: Water the damn grass!!  If it keeps happening in the same spot consistently, get someone out there with a hose.

• Fastrack - This is similar to the EZ Pass that many of us have learned to love over the years.  The Fastrack is the Bay Area version for the numerous bridges that span this 20 square mile area.  In concept, the Fastrack is fantastic.  The problem is that many people still do not use it.  Serious commuters seem to have understood the power of the Fastrack.  The recently forced car poolers to pay for traversing the bridges and required them to use the Fastrack.  There was about a 3 week grace period for them to figure it out.  Well that time is up and it causes congestion on the Golden Gate Bridge everyday.  

Solution: Mark a lane on the bridge as Fastrack only.  This will help to keep non-Fastrack users out of the lane and the frantic lane switching that occurs once the cars approach the tolls.  Also, this rewards people for using the Fastrack, cuts down on the amount of toll attendants that need to be present, and helps ease the stop-and-go traffic that severely diminishes gas mileage and vehicle emissions.  Even the environment wins with this one!!

• Passing on the Left - This may just be from living in Ohio for the last two years and seeing threatening signs on the side of 81 about driving in the left lane is illegal unless you are passing a vehicle.    Well, my two years have taught me that this is the way to drive.  I drove over 36 hours from Ohio to California following that rule.  I can pretty much throw that out the window here.  People drive in what ever lane they want however they want with very little regard for those trying to follow rules we learned during driving school.  I will be on the right lane and have people come flying up on me going at least 15 over the speed limit and then be mad that they had to switch lanes into the left side where there is not a car for miles.  "I am sorry that I am trying to be somewhat reasonable in my speeding and that I am a huge inconvenience to your law breaking."

Solution: Hire Erik Estrada for CHiPs and have him drive around pulling people over.  Okay, all kidding aside even though it would be awesome.  Put up some signs encouraging slower drivers to be in the right lane and that passing is reserved for the right.  This will go a long way to reduce accidents and make it easier for CHP to actually find those who are speeding and to pull them over.

Just some thoughts for the North Bay.  Even putting one of these into effect will dramatically help with the flow of traffic and reduce the amount of stop-and-go that occurs in the area.  Please someone make these things happen!!

Until next time...

-Justin

Fourth of July...

It was a couple of days ago, but oh well.  Fourth of July in SF was interesting to say the least.  It is hard to see fireworks in the dense fog and the two best places to see it were swarmed with 100,000+ people.  So you go for the next best thing, a mini trip to Sausalito.  Our friend, Brian Mathis, joined us for dinner and then came to the fireworks with Ali and I.  Brian is a first-year in BG's CSP program and is doing an ACUHO-I internship at USF, where Ali works.

Ali made a great dinner for the three of us and we sat on the floor around the table because we had nothing to sit on yet (more about that in a second).  She also picked up an apple pie and made peanut butter chocolate chip bars.  SUGAR COMA.  Brian let us know about what he has been up to in SF and recommended to Ali and I some places we visit.  We set out to go to Lone Mountain on USF's campus, but the fog was just too much.  We could barely see the top of the steeple of USF's chapel and that was less than a block away.  The decision to go to Sausalito was quickly made.

We made it to Sausalito with plenty of time to spare.  We found a nice spot in the park, laid out the blankets, sat back, and waited.  Did I mention it was about 60 degrees here?  Well it was.  And there was a brisk breeze blowing through on top of it.  The fireworks were decent.  Nothing crazy.  Sausalito understands The Fireworks Formula, so I was pleased.

{As I was writing this, Ali decided to try burning down our apartment while making Monkey Bread.  Probably not a good idea.  Smoke detector went off and the ceiling here is much higher than at here previous apartment.  Let's just say I didn't get to it right away.}

The return trip was a disaster.  Sausalito is built on a hill and to get out of there, there were lots of winding roads, going up hills that were almost 90 degrees vertical, and all of the streets were only one lane.  It was a crazy, crazy drive.  It didn't help that we had no idea where we were, that is was pitch black, and the fog was getting thicker as we got closer to Rte 101.  We made it out safe and got back to SF.

The next day was spent furniture shopping.  For those that do not know, sales tax in Cali is almost 9%.  Fourth of July (and the 5th) marked no sales tax on any purchase for many furniture stores.  Plus many were having some type of clearance sale to usher in new models.  So after driving through southern SF, San Mateo, Daly City, Redwood City, and San Jose, we found a couch.  Dark brown leather frame, chocolate colored cushions, chaise on the left-hand side, and an ottoman thrown in.  All of that for $575 including delivery.  Best deal out there.  We then saw Toy Story 3 as a reward.  Good day.  Lots of driving, but worth it.

Pics of empty apartment are up on facebook.  Pics of apartment with stuff in it will be taken once our couch is delivered this Saturday.

Until next time...

-Justin

Our Stuff is Coming...

Finally this weekend, our stuff will get here!!  Not sure which day, mainly because the driver wasn't sure and he had a thick Russian/Eastern Block accent that I could not understand over the phone.  I think he said something like it will be here probably Saturday but maybe Sunday.  All I know is that it will finally be here this weekend and I will not have to eat frozen dinners anymore.

In other news, a new office computer has arrived and it is awesome.  24" widescreen monitor, Windows7, and accidental administrative access = Google Chrome web browser.  I cannot get my email to work, but who cares.  Email is dead right?

Well, I am in desperate need of caffeine, so that is on tap.  Pictures will be up from the new apartment and the weekend.  Ali and I will do some exploring from our new city, San Francisco.

Until next time...

-Justin

Knickknacks....

The hardest part about furnishing a place is not the furniture, tables, chairs, and couches.  It is always about the little things.  That is when you really start to get nickel and dimed.  Cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, hangers, a rack for this, a clothing hamper, etc... etc... These little things add up in a big way.  This past weekend Ali and I tried to figure out what more we needed to purchase in the way of making our place feel more homey.  Right now we have two large rooms that are virtually empty and lots of storage in the way of closets that we do not know how to fill even when all of our stuff gets here.

So we started buying some smaller things that we think we will need but are not quite sure because the rest of our belongings are in transit.  We cannot remember everything we packed considering it was almost 3 weeks ago.  I know that we will end up with some duplicate stuff once our belongings arrive, but we are both getting to the point of giving in and buying some stuff we know we have (i.e., dishes and cooking supplies). 

We are currently without pots, pans, silverware, and cups.  We broke down on the weekend and purchased to plastic cups from Walmart.  We are doing our best to avoid buying pots and pans as we have a ton of each in a truck somewhere in the United States.  We have been using plastic silverware and bowls to get by to this point.  Microwave dinners have been our best friends, along with PB&J and cereal.

Soon enough the microwave dinners will come off the list because I will be in San Fran permanantly starting later this week and our microwave is on a truck.  Perhaps I should make a mockumentary song to "On A Boat" about where our ish is and I can call it "On A Truck."  I will think about it.

I promised pictures of the place, but you will have to wait a little bit longer.  My USB for my camera is in SF and I am in RoPo.  I am heading back to SF on Thurs if not before so they will be up before the weekend.  But in all reality it is a white-walled apartment with hardwood floors.  Pics might be best after our stuff gets here.

Until next time...

-Justin

DAYS 1 & 2...

A quick recap of days 1 and 2 at my new job (in bullet format like always).

1. My job is awesome!!
2. I finally have an office to myself. It may only be "The Cube" but it is my own space and has multiple chairs and a couch.  Also, I was finally to put up everything that I wanted to and did not need to keep things packed.
3. I have lots of storage (book shelfs and filing cabinets). They will be put to use.
4. I owe my easy transition into the position almost entirely to Courtney Snow. Sadly, she is leaving the office next Friday.  Courtney was integral to making sure that my orientation stuff was ready and will continue to help me as I transition.  Also, she did not force me to write all of this about her. :-)
5. Almost 65% of the chapters have a semester and/or cumulative GPA of 2.9 or higher.
6. 75% of the club sports teams have a semester and/or cumulative GPA of 2.9 or higher.
7. I have a bunch of cool interactive stuff up for my students.  Well, it is cool to me and I hope that they take advantage of it.
8. The office uses outlook express and meeting maker.  These are archaic and suck.
9. I am getting a new computer soonish.  Hopefully, I can convince them to let me keep both monitors.
10. Alison Marie Mathe finally decided to join me out here in California.  It only took her an additional 9 days.
11. I got to participate in my first #sachat today and really enjoyed it.  An hour has been carved out in my schedule each week to tweet it up.

Now that I am thinking about more, much of the past two days has been a blur.  Just a lot going on.  Learning a lot.  Lots of paperwork and documents to go through.  Lots of unpacking.  Just lots of changing and new things.

I am excited to see how things will continue to unravel over the next couple of weeks.  Next post should be about the new apartment in San Francisco.  Did I mention we are moving in during PRIDE weekend?  Also, I am working on getting pics of the office, campus, and new apartment.  I will probably load them up to Picasa so they can be on here.  If not, definitely to the facebook account. 
Friend me: http://www.facebook.com/justin.m.sipes

Until next time...

-Justin

Day 1...is tomorrow.

I have been out in Cali for about a week and a half now and enjoying just about every second of it.  Tomorrow will be my first day in the office.  It begins at 9:00 a.m. where I will be taken to Employee Services to do your and my favorite thing: PAPER WORK!! From there, a little trip over to IT to get my passwords and other technology related things in order.  Then back to the office to get my area set-up and organized.  Hopefully, lunch will be right around the corner.  I am sure I will be tuckered out from doing so much work at that point especially since I have done NOTHING the last couple of weeks.  After lunch, it is back to the office to meet with Heather and figure out what I will be doing over the next couple days, weeks, months, and years.

I am excited to get working.  It has been too long since I had something meaningful to do with my life (about 2 weeks).  As sad as it sounds, I really want to work again.  Since I got out to California, I have strongly considered getting a part time job for a couple of weeks to keep busy.  Yes, it may seem crazy but I was starting to get desperate.  I don't know what to do with myself when I have nothing to do.  All of my books are packed away, so I had nothing to read.  All of the kitchenware is packed, so cooking has been limited and I have no money to go out and eat.  Three seasons of The X-Files is fine and dandy but probably a little too much.

So tomorrow is the beginning of me being a full-time professional again and it could not have come any sooner as my sanity is slowly escaping me.  Some pics of the office will be posted too.  Maybe some of campus in the near future.  I have not decided yet.

Until next time...

-Justin

Transitioning...

So I am still in a state of transitioning.  I am set-up in some beautiful temporary housing (Thanks SSU!) for another week or two until I get settled into my new place in San Francisco.  Things out here have been going well.  It has been a little frustrating as I realize that things I could have used (kitchen stuff, cables, car title, different wires, etc...) are all packed with the belongings supposedly coming with the moving company.  Having some of these things would help to make the transition seem more like a move and less like a vacation.  I am stuck to using my computer as my sole source of electronic entertainment, which is not bad except for the fact that my speakers are on a truck and I am forced to listen to things through headphones with a minimal amount of give.  My life for the past week has focused around the bedroom and the computer.  I have been catching up on missed seasons of The X-Files so it isn't all that bad.

I like to use lists, so below are some things that I absolutely love about California so far:

1. It is always sunny here.  It is rare to see clouds in the sky.  Just blue skies for miles.
2. It is surprisingly not that warm here.  Most days are high-70's to mid-80's.  Perfect weather!!  Also, there is a casual, gentle breeze that is always blowing.
3. The place I am staying in is baller for on-campus housing.  It is a townhouse and everything is brand new. Four bedrooms with each one having its own private bathroom. Some pics here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?id=41401969&aid=2038042
4. I can wear just about whatever I want to work.  For someone like me who loves to wear shorts, polos, and flipflops, this is the best news I could ever get.  I still have dress pants, button down shirts, and ties when I need them, but to not have to wear them everyday is money.
5. Sonoma Valley Bagel (SVB) - It is definitely no THB but better than Nellie's.  This is my new weekend breakfast place.  Well, at least my one for Sonoma that is.

There will definitely be more things to share in the upcoming weeks.  I have not done too much exploring as I am waiting for Ali to get here first.  This way we can explore together.  I have found some stuff around Rohnert Park, but have yet to venture into San Francisco or surrounding communities of Petaluma, Santa Rosa, San Marin, or Sausalito.  Soon enough people.  Soon enough.

Until next time...

-Justin

CALIFORNIA...

A quick recap of my trip out west:

1. Utah was absolutely beautiful and only took 3 hours to drive through with no rain.
2. Nebraska was horrible to drive through and I will never do it again.
3. Nevada is full of casinos. They are EVERYWHERE, even gas stations.
4. For 18+ hours I did not see a single cop while driving on I-80.
5. I got to drive in the rain for almost 10 straight hours, not fun.
6. I did not kill a single animal.
7. My car held up for the entire trip.
8. I only needed to fill-up 8 times and probably could have done less.
9. Nothing is open in Salt Lake City on Sundays.
10. Cruise control makes long drives more comfortable but kills gas mileage.
11. There are lots of mountains in the northwest US.
12. I never appreciated what the pioneers of the western United States did until I made this drive.  What I did in three days took them 6 months (thanks Jeff).
13. The northwest US is absolutely beautiful and scenic.  Too bad that is all it has going for it.
14. It did not rain only one day.  The other two days were full of it and crazy thunderstorms at that.
15. I did not get a single ticket.
16. I drove for 36 hours and almost 2400 miles.
17. I woke up every day at 2:30 a.m. to be on the road by 3:00 a.m.
18. Driving in the rain in the pitch black darkness of night is no picnic.
19. The only traffic I hit was in California and it was congestion around Sacramento.
20. There is a lot of road work being done to I-80, especially in Nevada and the eastern parts of Cali around Lake Tahoe.
21. Reno is only 3.5 hours from where I will be living. :-)

Finally, I am glad to be out in California and starting this new part of my life.

There will be more frequent updates over the next couple of days, especially as I convert over to being a resident of CAL-I-FORN-I-A.

Until next time...

-Justin

First Post Is All About LOST...

So, I am moving to the WEST COAST, but more importantly the end of a legacy is on right now.

That is right.  The Series Finale of LOST is on right now.  This has been the only show I have ever watched every single episode from beginning to end.  I started watching the show in the middle of season 3.   I caught a couple of shows in season 1, but never really jumped on board.  I got season 1 as a gift and was completely hooked.  I watched the whole first season in about 36 hours.  I just wanted to watch more.  I purchased season 2 and did the same thing.  Then, I waited for season 3 to end and purchased it on dvd as soon as it came out.  I watched seasons 4 and 5 on television and on the internet when I couldn't make an episode.  DVR was my saving grace for most of season 5 and season 6.

I think the allure of LOST is the conversations that occur afterwards.  The speculation that goes into what is happening.  People creating theories to justify and explain what is happening to the characters and to determine where the plot is going.  This show helped to reinvigorate the water cooler conversation.  It brought people from all different walks of life together to talk about something in common, a grand television show called LOST.  The websites, chat groups, and fanfare that arose just heightened the scope of the show and elevated its status in popular culture.

The show would constantly raise more and more questions for the viewers.  It pushed you to just accept what was happening to the characters and try to guess and figure out what would be happening.  The show forced you to think.  You had to use critical thinking skills to put together your own theories.  It constantly challenged what you thought would happen.  The show was constantly twisting and turning.  If you guessed something right, then you were the smartest person around.  No one could question your LOST credibility.  But if you guessed wrong, you hoped that everyone did the same.

It may seem crazy, but LOST did change the complexion of television.  Since its inception, more stations have taken bigger chances on creating epic dramas for national television.  None have come close to equaling the success of LOST and I do not think any show will.  It captured the imagination of millions of people.  It was a unique concept at a time when reality television was booming in popularity and sitcoms were slowly circling the drain.  LOST came along at the right time with the right cast, the right writers, and the right concept.  People wanted to be caught up in a fantasy and LOST provided that to the public.

The ending of this show is the ending of a legacy.  Tonight's last episode will create a void in the millions.  The one hour of LOST each week created hours of discussion, speculation, and thinking.  As I have been watching the two hour recap, I have been getting goosebumps nonstop.  I have been looking forward to the conclusion since the beginning of the show, but am dreading the end.  I am looking for resolutions, but deep down I know they will not come.  I foresee having to review every episode of the series to make all the necessary connections and to fully appreciate the show.  The best part is that I am looking forward to it.

My upcoming posts will be about my move.  I promise!!

Until next time...

J_Sipes