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.

If You Could Read My Mind

I'm slowly approaching two years living in the Silicon Valley. That's a long time. Kinda.

A lot of things lately have made me evaluate my living situation, among other things. On My Mind:

• Cost/Benefit Analysis of Silicon Valley vs. SF. The tide may be turning.
  
• I'm still in my early to mid 20's... is living in suburbia still for me?
• What do I really value?
  
• Should I downgrade my car to something smaller and possibly more gas-friendly?
• When should I get plastic surgery? (because I WILL need it after my weight loss)
• Can I really keep up working out 3 to 4 times a week? Or will I cry into the fetal position at some point due to stress?
• Do I Miss Los Angeles? Or is it just my friends and family?
• Will I go to grad school at some point? If so, will it be for my MBA?
• I have 3 weeks of vacation stored up. How the hell am I going to use it? Should it be a lot of mini trips or one big ass vacation?

Crap TV Night

I got out of work kinda late because I decided to work out with Nai. Dinner was slim 'pic'in's (referencing the new cafe on my Campus 'PIC' -> Pure Ingredients Cafe) on Crittenden (Googleplex #2) this evening. So after the workout, Nai and Audrey (Nai's GF) went to main (Google lingo for 'main campus') and I met them there. Now didn't you like that lesson in Google Lingo 101?

I'm thinking about getting a personal trainer sometime soon. Since the new gym on our campus opened, trainers are giving out some trial sessions to get some clients on their plate. Now that I'm about 15-20 pounds from my 2nd weight goal... I need to Step It Up!

After work, working out and dinner, I ventured home and watched a load of crap TV. Somewhere in the middle of watching all the crap below, I chatted with Norm. Awww.

TV Consumed:

• SYTYCD -> I Watch Yesterday and Today's episodes. I'm glad Dominic stayed but I was sad to see Hok's old partner go. And Mia Michael's was nominated for an Emmy? Weird. Mary Murphy is as crazy as ever. And what's with having to watch the same dance 10 times? Kinda boring. And my cubemate extraordinaire brought up the point that if Cat Deeley didn't have a British accent, she'd be super boring to watch. Vickie thinks that Cat has a tendency to add r's to the end of words randomly. Haha.
  
• Two Episodes of 'True Life' on MTV -> 'True Life: I'm celibate' and 'True Life: I'm moving back in with my parents.' Both were relatively entertaining. I never knew there could be 3 different reasons for being celibate: (1) Finding Jesus after a car accident, (2) As Revenge for being Cheated on, and (3) To Prove you aren't a whore when you once were. Go Fig. I don't want to knock the other episode of 'True Life' because who knows... one day I might move back home. Yikes!
• Big Brother 8 -> The results of Thursday's episode was good. Dick's probably squirming a bit.
• Welcome to the Parker -> Episode 1 on BRAVO was rather entertaining. My favorite part was the quality control aspect of the show. It's pretty much my daily life at Google. Quality Quality Quality! Who knew they threw random 'room service' tests like that to their staff. I just realized that if I were to move into quality control in any other industry, It would be rather difficult. Oh... and this just reaffirmed my loathing of stupid drunk straight men when they're not around women. They need to be bitch slapped!
  
• Sex in the City -> I caught a random episode on KRON 4 in the Bay Area. The topic? Sexpectations. Why is it always something?
  

Whew... I'm spent. Nighty!

The Fray Concert Aftermath

The Fray Shoreline Headliner
Originally uploaded by wkivinski.

The Fray concert on Saturday night was soooo fun. I only knew like 3 of their songs before going to the concert, but the test of true artists is the ability to make you like all of their material. I loved their music sooo much. It was amazing performed live. All 4 members have the ability to sing... which is rare for a group.

I ended up going with Steph K., Danny, Steph W., Theresa, Mahin and Hilary. We camped out in the lawn section. I was prepped with my blanket, jacket, bottle of water and contraband bottle cap. Why a bottle cap? Last time when I was seeing Gwen Stefani, you couldn't bring water with a cap on it. They took it away from you. Lol.

The lawn section is cool because you can just be silly, lounge, eat some munchies and lay down and watch the stars. We also dished about boys much of the time. I felt bad for Danny, but that's what happens when you go to a concert with a bunch of girls and a gay guy.

The demographics of the concert were a bit of a surprise. I was expecting it to be an 'adult contemporary' crowd (you know... 21ish to 40). To my surprise, the crowd was mostly comprised of teens. I felt like I needed to be going through puberty or something to get in. It also reminded me a lot of Orange County for some reason. I dunno, it was a mix of the venue, crowd and weather.

I wish I was holding a boy during some points of the concert. The music was just that beautiful. Steph W. and I gave each other hugs when we were both thinking the same thing (wishing we were with a sig ot.)

My favorite moment of the night was when The Fray did an acoustic cover of Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie.' It was pure genius. A great mix of humor and actual talent. I also liked when the lead singer brought up his daughter near the end of the show. That was super cute. Oh... Joe King (one of the guitar players) is a total hottie.

Pics for your pleasure:

The Fray at Shoreline Amphitheater

I'm off to see The Fray tonight at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA at 7:30pm.

I'm going with a few co-workers. We've got lawn seats... and a picnic basket. So watch out!

This is one of numerous concerts I've attended in the past year or so:

• John Mayer & Sheryl Crow
• Kelly Clarkson
• Justin Timberlake & P!nk
• Christina Aguilera, The Pussycat Dolls & Danity Kane
• John Mayer & Ben Folds
• Gwen Stefani & Akon

Hairspray Screening in MV

Although I didn't get a chance to see Hairspray in Monday in San Francisco, I was able to catch a screening in the South Bay. I guess New Line gave Google a bunch of passes to some Thursday evening showings at Century Theatres.

I brought Ty along because I knew he'd have a good time. I also went with Nai and Audrey. It was cool seeing the movie with a bunch of co-workers.

I typically don't like movie musicals. I feel like the music tends to not fit well with the overall movie. Hairspray changed my views on this. It was brilliant little film. It was fun, the cast was fab and the film just made you smile. The lyrics to the songs were really catchy. I left saying... damn... I want to sing along next time. I know... super gay of me. I even bought John Travolta as a woman... eventually.

I think this is a film even straight men could love. Come of straighties... enjoy it. :)