Sex In Suburbia: Edition # 1

Any potential with a relationship with anyone who I've been on dates with in the past few months has come and gone.

It's back to the drawing board. I get most of the signals guys pass when they're 'just not that into you.'

I mean, I'm guilty of the same thing. Not calling you back as much, etc. It just sucks when it happens to you. I guess I expect some sort of reason for cutting off contact completely. Not responding to calls, etc. after everything is appearing to be going well.

If two months goes by after talking to each other almost daily and then all of a sudden things end without closure, I tend to wonder, wtf?

Yes, excuses like 'I'm busy' can be the answer, but even that isn't good enough of an excuse in my book. If you have time to brush your teeth, you have time to respond to a phone call, taking 2 minutes out of your day just to say hello.

Another Sea, Another Fish, I say...

New Rule: Express Lanes

So I was at Target today grabbing a couple of things. I walk into the 10 items or LESS lane.

I didn't really inspect what people had in their basket, figuring they'd at least come close to the 10 Items or less part.

Well, the lady in front of me had like 30 things. She said 'I'm sorry, I didn't see the sign.' Okay, maybe I'll believe you. But, don't you think there was a reason why that line was shorter than the rest? Just maybe?

Biatch, please.

New Rule: 10 Items or less doesn't mean 'Eh, I don't see signs, I'll run 30 things through the express lane.'

Friday Night Socialite: Dinner at Zazie San Francisco

I don't normally go out to dinner as much as I should. I guess I just grab something quick from a quick casual place (a la 'Plutos' or 'El Pollo Loco') nowadays. I guess it's the routine in me.

I probably should be exploring Bay Area restaurants more like when I first transplanted myself here. It's like a foodie's heaven.

On Friday I went with Joe to a quaint French Bistro in Cole Valley (SF) called Zazie. It was super delicious. I guess they're known for their brunch, but their dinner was spectacular. They're also known for the garden patio, which I didn't experience either. I guess there are more reasons to go back. :)

It's Michelin Guide rated and is well received on Yelp, too.

When you first walk in, you notice the winding staircase to your right and the brick interior. Joe was smart enough to make reservations, something I never do. So we were seated right away.

The waiter was a nice guy, with what I can only conclude is a British or Welsh accent. He knows his food and wine.

After looking over the menu, I was trying to decide between the Steak Au Poivre and the Ravioli with Lemon Sauce. The waiter said it comes down to delicateness. I wasn't feeling anything super heavy, so I went for the Ravioli. It was very tasty. The flavors blended well in a light and airy kind of way.

Here's what I ordered:

Drink: French Cider - Really Tasty. Slightly sweet. :)
Starter: French Onion Soup - Superb!
Entree: Ricotta Ravioli in a Lemon Sauce with Crab and Aromatic Peas - Amazing!
Dessert: Vanilla Creme Brule (One Bite Only!) - Wish I had more. Haha. ;)

UCR San Diego Reunion 2007

Last weekend I spent my weekend in San Diego, California.

I had a nice mini-vacation with several of my fellow UCR Business buddies. It was a nice way to catch up.

What did we do? Here are some highlights:

• Rented a 10 person speed boat and cruised around Mission Bay.
• Chris proceeded to get pulled over from the Ocean 'Police' pretty much as soon as he took the wheel. Haha.
• Loads of stories from Cindy that shocked pretty much everyone.
• Salt water in eyes = Ouch.
• Dinner at Black Angus. I hadn't been to a Black Angus is years...
• Loads of silliness in drug stores. I think we almost got kicked out of one store.
• Random Hotel Antics. Pretty much the worst bed I've slept on in a long time. Go Ramada. Haha. But we made the most of it.
• Late breakfast/brunch at Denny's. I hadn't been to Denny's in years either. Dan and Mike ate wayyyy too many packs of sugar. That's what happens when too much testosterone is at the table.
• A lovely stroll and picture session in Balboa Park.
• Drove back up to Irvine. Got loads of Fro Yo at Yogurtland. Coolest Fro Yo concept yet. This is the longest line I've stood in for food in a while. You pay by the ounce. As much yogurt and toppings as you want. You can totally go overboard... like me... haha.
• We departed ways after taking some final pictures.
• Drove back with Dan to his Apt. and played with his doggie Smokie. Cutie pie. :)

Pictures can be located here.

Silicon Valley Real Estate: Le Sigh

This is pretty much the reason why I'll never be able to afford real estate in the Bay Area. When strolling around the valley this weekend, I see the vast amounts of wealth in the forms of pricey clothes, expensive cars, and the latest high tech gadgets. I'm pretty sure some people must be into crazy amounts of debt to afford any sort of lifestyle here. *Le Sigh*

As Seen in the San Jose Mercury News:

It's time once again to check in on Silicon Valley's real estate market - which, actually, has turned into two markets. In super-pricey communities such as Palo Alto, Los Altos and Mountain View, housing sales are doing just fine, thank you very much. (After all, those Googlers have to live somewhere. And when you're busy changing the world, the closer you are to the Googleplex, the better.) In more, shall we say, working-class communities, sales are plummeting. As prices throughout the valley climbed over the past few years, those of us without tech stock options pretty much needed, shall we say, creative financing to qualify for a mortgage. The trouble is, with the growing subprime-mortgage mess, those creative loans are suddenly impossible to find. With fewer buyers able to enter the market, inventories are building. In fact, at the current sales pace, it would take more than a year to sell all the homes listed in parts of San Jose.

Link

Hot Music Track: Duran Duran's 'Night Runner'

I was tipped off from a few music blogs about Duran Duran's new track called 'Night Runner.' It's a collaboration with heavy hitters Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.

Hot. Here is a low quality tease on Entertainment Weekly's website.

Cool Google Maps Mashup: Walk Score

A few blogs today went crazy for Walk Score, a new Google Maps mashup that lets you know how 'walkable' your residence is. Its tagline is 'Find A Great Neighborhood.'

Not surprisingly, my LA home was the least walkable and my Washington DC pad was the most walkable. I miss DC for that reason alone.

What is the 'Walk Score' of your residence?

My Los Angeles, CA Home: 49
My Riverside, CA Apartment: 82
My Washington, D.C. Apartment: 100
My Sunnyvale, CA Apartment: 78

Of course their methodology isn't all that perfect. But it's still impressive. Learn what's nearby your place. Maybe you'll discover something fresh and new within walking distance. :)

Close to Home: Minnnesota Bridge Collapse

I woke up this morning shocked to hear about the bridge collapse near Downtown Minneapolis, MN.

Turns out that one of the trainees' I'm working with, sister, was on the bridge when it collapsed. She's actually in the picture on the front page of the New York Times on the bridge. Thankfully she survived and is okay.

Apparently, an Oprah episode helped save her life. There was an Oprah episode (that I've also watched) about worst case scenarios. One of the scenarios was how to get out of a car submerged under water. So even though her car plunged into the water below, she was able to survive because of knowing how to get out of a submerged car.

Oprah saves another life. :)

Flying Virgin America

I'm flying back to Los Angeles next week for a little bit of a get together with some college friends.

I originally was going to drive, but I wanted to maximize my time this time around, in addition to minimize driving boredom. Additionally, my car is at 99K miles and a trip to LA would push me over the 100K mark very easily.

So I'm going to be one of the first people to use Virgin America airlines. The airline's first flight is scheduled for August 8th, 2007. My flight is on August 10th. Let's hope everything goes smoothly. By the time I wanted to book a flight, Southwest already had crazy prices. VA still had some good deals. I'll be doing the SFO to LAX route rather than the typical SJC to BUR.

What I like about VA:

• They fly to the cities I care about: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, Washington DC
• Mood Lighting: Who doesn't want the interior of a plane to look like a club?
• Sophisticated Entertainment Console: I think they really thought this one through. Built from scratch and based off Linux, this console is crazy cool. Loads of MP3's, Movies, Games, TV Stations, and even passenger to passenger IM. Want a drink? Order it via the console.
• Tech Connectivity: Power, Ethernet and USB hookups at every chair!
• Cheap(ish)!: On par or better with Jet Blue & Southwest for coach/economy. Very good pricing on First Class. One day, I might do an east coast first class trip. :)
  
• Leather Seats with Headrests

Suburbs to the City: Possible Move?

I've lived in the suburbs all of my life, except for 3 exciting months in the heart of Dupont Circle in Washington D.C.

I like suburbia. I love Target, chain stores, safe surroundings and vast amounts of parking. I feel comfortable.

However, I'm only going to be young for so much longer. I'm turning 24 in a couple of months. That's basically 50 in gay years. One of my prior bosses said once you feel comfortable, it's time to move on. You should feel challenged. He was referencing jobs, but I can relate it to living situations too.

Strangely enough, most people think I've been living in The City (Local lingo for SF) since I moved here... including many of my co-workers. Apparently I give off some 'city aura' or something.

One of my co-workers is having a room in his place becoming unoccupied starting Sept. 1st. I haven't seen the inside of his place, but I've dropped him off once and I like the neighborhood.

I'm seriously considering moving. Two of the main factors are (1) > 10% increase in my rent at my Sunnyvale Apartment starting on Oct. 1st and (2) I'm only young for so much longer.

I know I like city living, because I've done it before. I like mass transit, walking around, people watching and roaming around in unfamiliar places... all things suburbia doesn't offer. I've been weighing the costs and benefits of living in the Silicon Valley vs. SF for a long time... practically since I moved to the Bay Area.

The main factors for me not wanting to move to SF were:

• Cost of Living
• Commute to Work
• Parking
• Weather
• Safety

Now that I've spent a lot of time in SF, I've gotten over the Safety and Parking issues. The weather is still iffy in comparison to the South Bay, but the bright side is that it doesn't get as hot in SF. And quite honestly, the weather is very different depending on which neighborhood you live in. The commute wouldn't bother me if i don't have to drive, hence the handiness of the Google Shuttle. So now the last issue to tackle is cost of living. Rent would be the exact same as what I'm paying, if not slightly cheaper if I have a roommate.

So the details of where I'm thinking of moving:

• Neighborhood: Noe Valley. It's close to the Castro and the Mission but far away enough from the hustle and bustle. 7x7sf.com describes Noe Valley as:
  

'Sheltered from the fog as well as from the chaos of urban living, sunny Noe Valley offers mom-and-pop boutiques, cafes and Victorians that attract young families and anyone, really, who's looking for small-town atmosphere. But the more things stay the same, the more they change: The latest branch of Fresca restaurant opened, a farmer's market hustles and bustles each Saturday, and Les Petits Ninous Urban Bébéwear opened last fall.'

In other words, it's a blend of sanctuary and city life. It doesn't have as bad of weather as say The Sunset, which also is far from the hustle and bustle (and thus, relatively moderate in pricing). I've driven around Noe Valley and find it cute, safe, with a twist of chic. For more SF neighborhood info, click here.

I'm going to see my co-worker's place on Saturday afternoon. Even if I don't end up living with him, I'm still considering a move to the city.

What I know of his place:

• Rent is $800 (I currently pay $850 for a studio, but it will be increasing to $950 soon)
• It's a 2 bedroom 1 bath on the 3rd level of a house. It overlooks much of city since it sits on top of a hill.
• The bedroom I would take over is tiny, but I would have office space in another room.
• It's close to both a Google Shuttle Stop (4 or so blocks away) and also close to mass transit (Muni).
• Washer and Dryer is available on the 2nd floor.
• Rent is month-to-month with no increases in pricing since he moved there over a year ago. (a real plus to not have to sign a long term contract!)
• Sharing of utilities would split my current cost in half.