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!

A good week

Well, I taught both of my classes this week and the math class will be pretty easy to teach and the students seem nice. My freshmen seminar only had 8 of the 16 people show up. If it stays that way, it will also be great. Generally, it was a busy week at work and in the building where I had to meet with some contractors.

Massage continues to be slow.

I was told today that I would probably be the type that goes crazy and talks to myself when I'm old. I don't know how I feel about that.

I had more nightmares about Sarah Palin. Ack!

I had a mouse in my apartment last night. I think he/she got away though. I certainly hope so but I'm going to buy a trap.

And my funny story for the week: MUNI has had these 'testimonials" from drivers plastered on the buses for a few months, but they always make me laugh. They basically tell memorable stories that these drivers have and I think it's supposed to be marketing to make MUNI seem more personable and part of the community. But I think whoever did this marketing should be fired. It doesn't make the transportation system look good at all. Take these excerpts for example:

Shirley remembers: "A passenger was having a seizure on the bus. I kept calling central command but they weren't responding." Thank you, Shirley for bringing to light the poor management of MUNI.

Juan recalls: "A passenger came up to me in tears because she was heading to a job interview and we were running late that day". A wonderful reminder of MUNI's unreliability.

And finally, Yvette shares: "A crazy homeless guy started yelling at me and ran up to the front of the bus and kept pushing on the accelerator and grabbing the wheel from me. I couldn't stop the bus and we kept going through red lights. Finally, I was able to push him off the front of the bus. Thank goodness it was late or we may have all BEEN KILLED!". Really makes me feel safe as I ominously eye the crazy homeless guy sitting across from me (which is ALWAYS the case). Thanks, Yvette.

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.

It's Back to School Time!

I was on the Muni today on my way home and passed a huge sign in the Walgreens' window that said "Think Back to School". I checked my calendar just to be sure. It's freaking July 2nd! Students just got done with school! Why they hell would they want to think about going back already? I would be so pissed if I was a school aged child. Stupid Walgreens. I ought to boycott out of principle. But seriously, businesses keep promoting holidays and seasons much too early for my taste. I remember as a child, I would get excited because the day after Thanksgiving, all the Christmas decorations would go up, and Santa's house would magically appear in the parking lot of the Woolworth's shopping center. Now, it wouldn't surprise me if Santa doesn't peak out next week. It causes the holidays and special events to seem much less special.

And while getting ready to exit the bus, I overheard two acquaintances who had just run into each other:
Woman: Hi, so good to see you.

Man: You too! You look different with your new Amy Winehouse hair.

Woman: I like to mix it up.

Man: You had a birthday party recently.

Woman: Oh, yes. It was a really fun bonfire.

Man: Yes, I HEARD....but I wasn't invited.

Me (loudly): AWKWARD!!!!
then I stepped off the bus.

Satan prefers Peet's

What a crazy Saturday afternoon I had. Two clients, then a trip to Chipotle - where I had to have my tacos despite my ongoing tomato protest. Then I headed to the gym, but the overly long hour on the bus home is what was so interesting. As I was waiting for the bus, a guy in his twenties walked by with a leather jacket on with "Satan" embroidered on the left chest pocket. Now, first, I don't know who would want to take on that name, but more importantly, I thought to myself "What DOES Satan do on a sunny Saturday afternoon in San Francisco?". So, I watched him walk. Now, I'll tell you now, Satan was relatively attractive but very awkward. He walked like he either had something up his butt or had been riding a horse bareback for weeks.

More importantly, he walked right by a Starbuck's and went into Peet's. Now, I'm not sure what Satan prefers to drink as my bus arrived at this moment. But know that unless you want to support Satan's minions and causes, only drink Starbucks (or better yet, independent coffeeshops).

Well, the bus was packed and as we drove through Chinatown, I was seated in the back of the bus (because I'm just that cool). Then up near the center door of the bus, there was all this commotion. I took my earphones out to see what was going on. All these short little Chinese folks were yelling at this couple who had just gotten on. Apparently, they were accusing them of stealing an elderly woman's wallet as she had exited the bus. One little woman just kept yelling "Call the Police! Call the Police!". The muni driver was no help, mind you, which isn't a huge surprise. Anyway, like 10 men descended on the couple and started opening their bags, reaching in their pockets, etc. And sure enough, out came the wallet. Of course the couple continued to deny that they had taken it even after it was revealed. Then, everyone wouldn't close the door until they threw them off the bus. Now, that's a community taking care of itself :-)

Finally, we went by the North Beach Festival on my way home and the bus became full again with all these drunk yuppy revelers. One of them had a "Trust Me, I'm a Doctor" shirt on, so I asked him about the recurrence of my "itchy foot" issue, but he just stared blankly at me with his bloodshot eyes. Oh well, guess he's not part of my HMO network. Boy, I love Muni