Finally....

I've been in my new job now for about 3 weeks and I finally feel like I'm a bit settled and getting back into a routine. And I've been sick, so I haven't had much time to post but now I'm feeling caught up. Lots has happened since my last post.

The motorcycle class was great. the classroom portion was really boring but during the weekend, was the riding portion and they pretty much put you on motorcycles right away. This was a bit scary for me as I've only been a passenger a few times and it's all completely new to me when it comes to driving. But it was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. I got the hang of it pretty easily but kind of screwed up the test. Still, it wasn't so bad that I didn't pass. But I feel like I need more practice before I go out on the street. Being in a parking lot is very different than on the street. Still, how do you practice without a bike? And why get a bike if I don't feel good enough to use it? Still, it might happen soon - I need to get more practice. And my work commute is LONG! So, I might need it.

I started taking one bus line to work which goes through crazy town and stopbut it literally took 55 minutes door to door, and if I miss that one bus, I'm late to work. The first week, I had to take a cab to work twice because of getting stuck in the building with contractors. It was not good. I now take another two buses and it only takes about 45 minutes but still goes through the janky downtown tenderloin druggy area. The other day, i got to listen to a guy talk to his lotto scratcher card for a whole 15 minutes. I sure hope he won. I bet he would put that money to good use.

The job, however, is good. I love it. It's busy, but I feel like there is lots to do and lots of systems to improve and my coworkers and the students seem really good. So, I'm glad I made the move. I definitely like being at a school too that focuses on health and wellness. I just feel better by being there - I guess by osmosis or something! I haven't yet gone to get an acupuncture treatment though but I'll try it - I get a staff rate of $8! I think that's about as good as it can get.

Valentine's weekend was fun. We went to Wicked on Friday night. It was my third time, but Kurt had never seen it so I got him tickets. And they were VIP! So, we got free drinks before the show and during intermission (like you have enough time to have a drink and go to the bathroom anyway). The funny thing is, in San Francisco, the lines for the bathroom are always longer for the men's room because of so many gay men going to the theater. Damn the queers!

then that Saturday night we went to a dance called Blowoff which was really fun. We had been before and it's just a really casual crowd. No druggies or tweakers. But it was a big Bear weekend here in San Francisco, so there were large hairy gay men dancing all over the place, but the bears are good people, and it was a lot of fun.

Oscars 2009 was a good time. I saw all the Oscar nominated movies and liked them all. I was particularly glad that Milk won for two awards. I was also pleased that Sean Penn beat Mickey Rourke. Good for Mickey with the comeback, but enough with the chihuahua and please wash your hair. I love Kate Winslet so that was also a good win. And generally, I liked the format of the show. I liked how they gave multiple awards at once and reduced the number of presenters. I liked how the acting awards were given too. And even though I didn't see Pineapple Express, the little Judd Apatow comedy bit was really funny.

Kurt's been out of town for 8 days now and comes back on Monday. I'm excited to see him. He was back in NYC packing up his apartment there. He decided to get rid of it and shipped everything here. But when he gets back we have to go see the Watchmen and I can't wait to catch up with him about Lost and Battlestar Galactica - the two best shows on TV!

Now, I think I'm going to eat some dinner and do some laundry. Good times on a Saturday night!

I'm Back

Wow - so I didn't think it would be almost three months since I last posted, and my last post was so angry. Sorry to keep all of you waiting. It's nice to know that so many of you actually do read it. I had no idea until I stopped posting! So, here's my last few months sped up!

Thanksgiving - good times with friends. Great turkey. I made TWO types of stuffing - one was traditional w/chestnuts - the other was Jalapeno cornbread stuffing with chorizo sausage and pine nuts - delicious. We ate a lot, drank a lot and played fun games.

Christmas - home to visit the folks for 6 days and Kurt went off to Michigan to see his family. Had a good time, did a LOT of visiting, etc. Ate a lot.

New Years Eve - I flew back here.

January - I had a final interview for and accepted a new job as Director of Student Services at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine - www.actcm.edu. I'm very excited. It's more responsibility, more variety, and more in line with my interest in holistic health. I finished up at the Academy of Art on the 28th and I start my new job on the 9th.

I had a massage special that meant I had a LOT of business in January, which kept me very busy. The month generally flew by, but I helped celebrate some friends' birthdays, attended a Golden Globes party, and recognized Australia day with my friend Matt who has finally moved here to SF.

Oscar season is upon us. here are movies I've seen in recent months with quick reviews:

Doubt - liked it on stage better but I thought it was a good adaptation. All of the actors were good.

The Reader - depressing but good. A little slow in the end but very impactful.

The Wrestler - I get why Mickey Rourke is getting all the attention. He was great and it was very hard to watch the movie in parts, but the movie overall was just standard. And Marisa Tomei is topless for a large part of it.

Slumdog Millionaire - See it. Made me alternately cry, laugh and cringe.

Milk - See it. I also cried. Sean Penn is great and it was very motivating movie for me.

Curious Case of Benjamin Button - visually, it was great, but I don't get the Oscar hype. I liked, but not loved it....except for Tilda Swinton, who I always love.

Frost/Nixon - surprisingly, I liked this one a lot. Who knew a 2 hour movie about an interview could be so entertaining?

Quantum of Solace - not as good as the first Craig 007, but entertaining nonetheless.

Valkyrie - I hate admitting I saw this given that douchebag Tom Cruise is in it. But it was actually pretty good, except for Tom Cruise.

There are plenty more I want to see and wish I'd seen but top on that list is Revolutionary Road and Gran Torino.

I think that's it for now! Coming up in February:

My long to-do list for the break between jobs - will I get it all done?
Motorcycle Safety School
Wicked: The Musical
Blowoff: A Dance Party
Valentine's day reports
Oscar 2009
Tales from the Muni commute to my new job (there will be many!)

See you soon!

Recent Movie Reviews

Lots to catch up on!!! First, last weekend, Clark and I saw Bottle Shock. It's a cute, feel-good movie about the competition in 1976 where Napa Valley wines beat out French wines in a blind tasting. The side story about the family involved was a little cheesy, but the music was good and I loved Alan Rickman. If you love wine and Napa valley, you'll love the movie. Otherwise, you'd probably just think it's okay. So, this hovers somewhere between 3 and 4 stars.

This past weekend Kurt and I saw two movies. The first was Tropic Thunder. I thought it was pretty funny and it gets 4 stars. Some people think it's offensive and too politically incorrect. But I think they're being too sensitive. Robert Downey, Jr. was hilarious as an Australian actor who died his skin to play a black actor. Jack Black plays a drug-addicted comedian trying to act in a different type of movie. And Ben Stiller is a fading action star. The humor was crude and sometimes the plot seemed longer than it needed to be, but overall, I'd go out and see it.

What I wouldn't see is Star Wars: The Clone Wars. We saw it because we're gullible geeks. But it was really just another way for George Lucas to capitalize on an idea that ran out of steam many years ago. It was so horrible. And Jabba the Hutt has a gay drag queen for an uncle. Who knew? Literally - that bad! Don't see it....ever. No stars given.

The Weekend

This past weekend was a good one. Friday night, Kurt had a car for a work meeting that day so after work, we went to Target and Trader Joe's to do some shopping. We also moved the microwave from my office to his apartment. I never use it in my office and he needed one.

Saturday, we went to breakfast, the gym, and then to do a bit of shopping for Kurt's niece's birthday present. She's 8 and really into bugs and I think that's so cute - a budding entomologist! So, Kurt bought her a framed beetle (not of the John, Paul, Ringo, George variety) from a really interesting store on Valencia. This beetle was very colorful and different. The store has all sorts of "curiosities inspired by nature" according to their sign. I forget the name, but will try to find out and post it. I then had a client and later that night, we went and saw the Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. My score: 2 stars (didn't like it). Don't bother, people! I had not seen the previous two but generally, this was a simple story, acted poorly in parts, and with bad, bad dialogue. Still not as bad as the Happening, however.

Sunday, I watched a friend in the marathon, had brunch with other friends, went to the Chihuly exhibit at the DeYoung (highly recommended), and then Kurt and I had dinner with our friend Pablo. All in all, a good weekend, but because it was so packed it went by way too fast!

The Week (or 2) in Review

I can't believe I haven't posted for 2 weeks! I'm a slacker. So here, categorized for your convenience, is my life in the last 14 days.

THIS WEEK AT THE ACADEMY
Not too much new. We've been working on a project where we are interviewing people about their career paths and I'm going to edit it into a movie or two that we can show our struggling students to help inspire them. The most exciting part of this is that we went down to Cupertino to interview my friend David who works on Iphone for Apple. The interview was great but even better.....he invited us to eat in the Apple Cafeteria! Yummy! The campus made me feel like I was in some futuristic sci-fi movie because of the architecture, and everyone was so casual. It was a good trip.

THIS WEEK IN THE BUILDING
Well, the poop is still on the roof, and I'm not moving it. There were many more smudgy fingerprints I've cleaned and light bulbs that have been changed. We recently got a Dyson vacuum cleaner for the building and I was really excited, but I have to say, I don't think it's worth the money so if you're thinking of buying one, I would investigate some other options. I've also been very busy meeting with contractors about the boiler, wrapping some steam pipes, security in the building, and a plumbing leak....but it's still worth the free rent. A few weeks back we had a break in and the video cameras caught the guy. Someone in the building actually came up to me and whispered softly "Was he black?" Can you believe that? I told her I thought she was needed back in the 50's. And for the record he was very white.

THIS WEEK IN MASSAGE
Generally, my massage business is down a bit due to the economy, but I'm still keeping busy enough. In fact, yesterday I saw four clients! So, that's a total of 6 hours of massaging. I was beat last night and luckily didn't have any clients today so I could recover. I'm also taking a reflexology class in two weeks and a sports massage class in three weeks! I'm very excited about those. I've been complaining to my landlord in my office building though. The bathrooms are constantly running out of toilet paper and paper towels and I've been restocking. I don't mind doing this every once in a while, but it's been excessive lately. Hmmm, maybe I can negotiate managing that building and getting free rent there too!!! Kidding. I definitely don't need a fourth job.

THIS WEEK AT THE GYM
You are brilliant, little Italian man who is always at my gym! At first I thought you were crazy and although I have not disproved that yet, I have finally figured out your ingenious plan. See, I thought you were just fanatical about the gym, because every time I go there, you are there. If I go at 1 PM, you're there. 2 PM - you're there, 3 PM - yes, you're still there. Even when I've gone to the gym on the weekend - you're there. Sometimes I've seen you at other 24 hour fitness locations as well. Well, I decided to put my Encyclopedia Brown skills to work and I have your number now. Clue #1 - you were napping that day on the couch in the locker room. Clue #2 - you have one of 2 outfits on always. Clue #3 - you have neither lost weight nor gained muscle despite all the time you've spent at the gym. Clue #4 - I saw you bartending at the W hotel around the corner. Finally, it hit me. You LIVE at the gym. Genius! You have found a way to avoid the high costs of San Francisco apartments. You keep your three changes of clothes (work, gym #1 and gym #2) in your locker. You shower there, you sleep there, and you survive on food from the vending machines (most likely supplemented from libations and garnishes at the bar). You have inspired me to find more ways to circumvent the system. If I was sure you weren't crazy I would question you about it, but I still think you might be....but not as crazy as the woman with Turret's who pretends she's playing a drumset between weight sets and alternately screams at people and kicks her leg out.

THIS WEEK IN HEALTH AND BEAUTY
Listen up folks - I have had my beard for three years. PLEASE stop coming up to me and commenting that you like the new look. It's not new! Which means you obviously don't pay much attention to me, which hurts my self-esteem. Thanks a lot for your backfiring complement.

THIS WEEK AT THE MOVIES
So many to write about. First of all - best movie of the summer - SPACE CHIMPS. I'm kidding. Here's a rundown of what I have seen:

Wall-E (finally): Very well done and very cute protagonist. Not my favorite of Pixar's movies but I did like its anti-consumerism message. People said it was "dark". I didn't think so. I get why they said it, but I thought it was still pretty upbeat. As with most Pixar movies, good for kids and adults. My score: 4 stars (Really Like It)

Mamma Mia: Oh, Meryl Streep. You really can do no wrong and again, you are the saving grace of this rather mediocre movie. Well, you and the ABBA music. Cheesy, but fun, I give you and your fellow cast 3 stars (Liked It). Except for that Pierce Brosnan fellow. He should have never auditioned for a musical, let alone been cast in one, next to someone as brilliant as you, Meryl. Can't wait to see you as Julia Child!

The Dark Knight: I love superhero movies, and there has been a lot of hype about this one. But in this case, I say the hype is right. It's certainly a newer and better class of superhero movie that actually makes you think and the acting of Heath Ledger was good (Oscar-worthy? Eh - I'm not sure). Now, if Christian Bale's Batman voice didn't annoy me so much, this would probably be 5 stars, but it will have to settle for 4 (Really Liked It).

The X-Files: I Want to Believe: I love Gillian Anderson and she delivers in this movie. The plot is pretty standard, but if you were a fan of the show, you will enjoy revisiting these characters again just as much as I did. I think the relationship between Scully and Mulder is one of the most interesting ones portrayed in TV History, regardless of if you're a sci-fi fan or not. Even if you didn't watch the show, you can enjoy the movie. My score: 4 stars (Really Liked It).

THIS WEEK IN FOOD
I cooked a lot in the last few weeks. For TV night I made moussaka and avegolemono soup (chicken lemon rice). These were two recipes from my co-worker's greek cookbook. They were pretty good. I also made a really good chicken parmesan and some beef enchiladas with whole wheat tortillas that were yummy. I'm trying to cook more so I can take food to work and save money. And I'm trying to alter my diet again. More protein (hello, cottage cheese), less carbs (good bye tortilla chips). I've been gym-ing it now for over a year and I do see some difference, but I really want to get rid of my gut, so I'm going to attempt to cut out three things for 2 months: alcohol, fried things, and cheese (of the non-cottage variety). Do I think I'll last two months? No, but I can cut back at the very least. I've also discovered that the gourmet grocery store a block away makes prepared food and they have the best roasted brussel sprouts. I'm in love. I just went to the grocery store and stocked up on chicken, turkey, tofu and other protein-rich and healthy options. But I'm craving pizza...ugh. 2 months is a long time.

THIS WEEK IN FINANCE
Quarterly taxes - how I loathe you.

THIS WEEK IN POLITICS
California banned Trans-Fats. I think this is dumb. Yes, it's healthy and yes, it could mean less tax money spent on medical care for the uninsured. But where is the personal responsibility? I'm all for labeling of food and mandating nutrition information, etc. But if I want something fried in trans-fat, I'm an adult and should be able to have it. We should spend more time educating people and less time coddling them and changing policy so there is no decision but the "right one". Similarly, San Francisco is trying to restrict places people can smoke even more to include outdoor cafes. I'm not a smoker and I love that bars and restaurants here are smoke free. However, if we get any more restrictive you're going to have to have little enclosed smoking huts dotted around the city for people to use. And generally, it's just so inconsistent. Tobacco use is as much a health risk as trans-fat, but that will never be banned.

Of course there is also all that presidential stuff going on - but I'm sick of that.

THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Same old, same old. I got to sit next to a woman crack user who kept rocking and shaking and speaking to another guy in English but I swear they were the only two who understood what she was saying. Yesterday, a very stinky man sat next to me and kept talking about how he smelled body odor "but it wasn't him". Oh, but it was. The people in Chinatown still can't seem to master the bus system despite the fact they ride it every day. And I'm tired of hearing 10-13 year olds curse like sailors. That's reserved for adults like me. Frankly, I'm just tired of the amount of time I spend on the bus, which I now calculate to be approximately 10 hours a week. I like being environmentally friendly, but it's really getting old.

That's it! I promise not to wait so long to post again.

Movie Review: Hellboy II

Kurt and I saw Hellboy II this past Friday. Now, I saw the first one, but didn't love it because I think I was trying to do a couple of other things while the DVD was playing. But I rewatched it at some point and found it to be enjoyable. The second one was actually really good. Directed by Guillermo del Toro of Pan's Labyrinth fame, it was funny, had a good amount of action, and some really good creature scenes and special effects. My rating: 4 stars out of 5. I think this was the perfect blend of things for a summer movie. The first half was definitely more engaging and interesting than the second, where the movie just sort of took a formulaic action movie type path. But del Toro certainly is imaginative with his creatures and keeps things interesting.

Weekend Update

The weekend was really good. Friday night I had people over on the roof for a party. The weather was beautiful and we snacked on some chips and nuts and had white sangria, cranberry vodka iced tea, and beer. It really was a great night and I'm so happy the weather cooperated. Here are some pictures. Kurt has more on his camera, so I might add some later.








































Saturday, Kurt and I went to lunch, then I had a client. A trip to the gym and then out that night and met up with our friends David and Alan. Sunday, we went to the gym and then met other friends for brunch and to see "The Happening". My score: one star. DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE! It was bad. Well, it started out interesting, but then went no where and the acting and dialogue was bad. This is the last time that M. Night Shyamalamadingdong gets my money. And I mean it this time.

Movie Reviews: Incredible Hulk and Kung-Fu Panda

I've been meaning to write these reviews for a while, but this week has just been busier than anticipated. I have decided to change my system of rating from letter grades to a 5 star scale with:
Five stars: One of the best movies ever (everyone should be required to see)
Four stars: Loved it (highly recommended)
Three stars: Liked it (but you might not or might want to wait until cable or DVD
Two stars: Disliked it (would not recommend)
One star: Hated it (don't waste your time)

I hope there will not be a need for a "no star" category.

Friday, Kurt and I saw "The Incredible Hulk". My rating: 3 stars. We're suckers for superhero movies, thus we always rush out to see them, but this one just wasn't as great as say Iron Man (4 stars). Now some people are huge Hulk fans and maybe for them it was what they wanted. In terms of the lore or story of Bruce Banner and his alter ego, it wasn't really that bad. And they did use the theme song from the TV show at one point, which I appreciated. But I've never found the Hulk to be that interesting. He can't talk (or at least not a lot) when he's big and green which certainly leaves little room for dialogue. And the dialogue that was written was not very good at all. Special effects were pretty good, but ultimately it's pretty formulaic with a big fight between two big things in the end. Really they only made this movie so they could make an Avengers movie down the road.

SKADOOSH! This is what Po, the portly Panda says in Kung Fu Panda from Dreamworks. I thought this was also pretty formulaic but then again, most animation movies are. I actually really liked it. My rating: 4 stars. The animation was great. The story was amusing and of course, came with the requisite empowering message. I think it's definitely good for kids and for adults.

So, if you have the option, check out Kung Fu Panda first, unless you want to wait for the tiny Iron Man/Tony Stark cameo at the end of the Hulk.

The Rocker

So, Wednesday night, my friend Seth drove up from Santa Clara. He had free passes to see a movie called "The Rocker" about a has been drummer in a heavy metal band who, 20 years later, joins his nephew's high school band. My rating: "C". It wasn't horribly unwatchable, but it wasn't very good either. It comes out officially in August. Seth said it best with his description "It was like a Saturday Night Live skit drawn out into an hour and a half". And it was. It had plenty of extraneous filler, some unneeded gross-out humor, and a lot of watching a sweaty Rainn Wilson of "The Office" fame drum with his mouth open. I would suggest waiting for DVD or multiple airings on TNT if you ever feel the need to watch it at all. It did have some funny parts though, my favorite being this quote from Howard Hesseman of "WKRP in Cincinnati" fame: "There are two things I don't trust in this world: Cell phones, since they give you brain cancer, and marionettes." It's really random, but I liked it.

Anyway, then Seth and I went to Mel's Diner and caught up one on one which we hadn't done in a long time. He's moving to Washington, D.C. in a month, and although it makes me sad, I think it's the right decision for him. Not that he needs my validation or the validation of anyone else for that matter!

And today was Summer Semester Orientation. Five hundred new students! I had to go to work at 7 AM, so I'm beat now. But I always love the first day, particularly since they are all students. It's fun to look at how they dress. Some of them think they have to look unique, or super put together, or not put together at all. We play "guess the major" based on what they wear, which is fun. But it is really exciting to see how pumped they are about starting a new pursuit. That's what keeps me working with students...there is always a lot of energy.