Godfather of Funk

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

I know… I’m getting sloppy with keeping up with this thing… but rest assured, it’s not for a lack of trying. I’ve just been HELLA busy getting everything squared away with the new job, new apartment, moving in general, and then to be an ass… I went to Vegas for the weekend. I know, right? What the hell was I thinking? I’m glad you asked… because it had been a while since I went to visit my mistress… and I had planned this a few months ago… and I was going to f**k sh*t up with my Wingman… regardless of where I was flying from so… ain’t nothing changing but the tail number on the flight. Now, before that though, I was able to spend one evening in my new bedroom before that. Wednesday night, after work, I ran some errands & then started moving all of my bedroom stuff out of the living room into the recently-vacated master bedroom… and the only tricky stuff was the king mattress up a narrow staircase & the dresser for sheer weight, but it was done fairly easily… and I even set up the projector TV for my roommates… as they went through my extensive DVD collection & we chatted and got to know each other. I think they were more curious about me though… but seriously, what kind of a man has a collection of movies including everything from the Muppets to the Marx Brothers to Marilyn Monroe to Tony Montana to Martin Scorsese to Mariah Carey? Oh wait, that last one was a CD case they found. Don’t judge me. I’m a sucker for sultry R&B singers. Deal with it. They are… and they like it. Anyway, enough about that, on to Vegas…

Thursday after work, I took the BART for the first time… and managed to f**k that up. Apparently, you get off at a certain stop in San Bruno, then switch to another train that takes you out to the airport, even though the signage says to stay on a certain train until the next stop when you get off the train… so yeah, I looked like a dumbass getting off the train & then hopping right back on with my baggage. Luckily, I looked stupid enough that a few people noticed. I sat next to some guys in construction. “Excuse me, you going to the airport?” “Yeah, is this the right way?” “You want to get off on that last stop, go to the other side, and then that’ll take you out there… but now, it’s gonna be about 45 minutes or so cuz you have to get off at the next one at Millbrae, wait for that train, take it back there, wait for another one… you know?” “Ah… lame…” It was about this time that I felt a hand on my shoulder from behind. Luckily I could tell it was a lady hand otherwise somebody might’ve gotten popped.

“Sir, if you would like, I’m getting off at Millbrae & I could drive you out to the Airport if you would like. It’s just a few minutes from where I live.” “Well, I don’t want to intrude or anything…” “No intrusion. It’ll be my good deed for the day.” “Oh well… if it’s your good deed for the day… then it’d be rude to deny you that.” So Soccer Mom was there with a field trip as a chaperon with her daughter… but the daughter wanted to go hang out with her friends at In-n-Out Burger, so it was basically just the two of us running out to the airport. We chatted. She asked me where I was going, from, etc. & somehow we got to talking about traveling the world… and we both yakked about Italy & France (apparently she goes there every few months with her job) and yeah, good times. Then I got to the airport to find my flight delayed about two hours so… that 45 minutes wouldn’t have been a problem but I’m glad it worked out that way.

Eventually I made it to Vegas, met up with the Wingman, and we checked into the new Cosmopolitan hotel at the City Center on the Strip. The last time I had been to the Strip, the City Center was still a bit of an eyesore from my view at the Grand Chateau… but now, it’s a pretty hip trendy place to see & be seen. The hotel is VERY modern contemporary… but still pretty cool. They have a bar shaped like a giant chandelier, LCD screens EVERYWHERE, with images of Jellyfish on pillars, and hip futuristic designs throughout. Very cool, you should check it out if you get the chance, even just the casino. The rooms were pretty nice too… except one little thing. We had a room with two double beds, so intended for a family, right? Well, the shower… has this sliding curtain so you can watch the person shower… or if you’re more conservative, just watch their silhouette bathe. We decided that this hotel room was geared more towards swingers than family. Anyway, here are some pictures…

That night, we didn’t do a whole hell of a lot. Both of us had been up since the crack of dawn… and my flight was late… so we had a great Italian dinner at the Bootlegger & got some essentials at Safeway and then enjoyed the Fountains of Bellagio from the window of our 37th floor room and turned in around midnight.

Friday, we eventually got out of bed & wandered about the City Center & the Strip. Yeah, just wandered during the few daylight hours that we had, ate at Fatburger, grabbed a 100 oz alcoholic beverage by the yard (with a little extra booze courtesy of gratuity) & this started off the evening right… but here are pictures of the day first…

"That's your problem right there... your camshaft..."

Next was the Cirque du Soleil production Zumanity at New York New York. I had wanted to see this show for a while… because you know… I’ve heard great things about Cirque… but daddy also likes strip clubs… so when it came down to one or the other… I always went with the other… until they decided to combine the sensuality of the strip club… without the lingering smell. What is that smell by the way? Desperation? Smut? I think it’s smut. Anyway, this show was amazing… and very sexy & sensual… and incredible performers… and even funny. Don’t know what I need to do to be part of the interactivity with the performers (buy seats closer & be middle aged) but I may have to consider it. I highly recommend it.

This is actual the new Sirens at TI but... no pictures in Zumanity

After the show, we ugh… well… we went where gentlemen do when in Vegas and unattached to any female counterparts. No, not the clubs like Tryst (by the way, my favorite, just for the name), but rather the gentlemen’s clubs… and long story short, we found a great place to get Chinese food at 4 AM called… I think it was Harbor Palace… damn drinks… but they’ll kick you out at 5 AM. Trust me.

Saturday, we arose at the crack of noon, then enjoyed my new favorite Vegas buffet, the Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan. Great food, wide selection, trendy atmosphere, and only $23 (or $35 if you want mimosas & bloody marys). I was severely stuffed by the end of the meal… and I had barely touched the dessert section with various gelatos for my enjoyment. Yeah… it was that good. Oh... and I jumped off the Stratosphere around sunset...

That evening, our first stop was the concert of the amazing Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine at the Green Valley Resort in Henderson (about 20 minutes from the Strip). For those of you who don’t know (apparently new to the blog), Richard Cheese performs lounge version of hip-hop & heavy metals songs. You have the usual quartet of drums, bass, piano & lounge singer… and the fairly standard melodies… but the words are that of popular songs that… just go so well in the format. From the opener of “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails… to the tango of “Insane in the Membrane” by Cypress Hill… to a soulful rendition of “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot… to the closer of “Summertime” by Sublime, just an incredible show with plenty of humor to go around. Really considering going to see him again on February 20th here in San Francisco. The only problem… standing room only venue… but it worked pretty well later in the week, but more on that later. Again, highly recommended if they come to your town.

Next, the Wingman & I decided to go see “The Mechanic” starring Jason Statham, Donald Sutherland & Ben Foster. It’s the story of a hitman (Statham) who gets a job from his superiors to take out his own handler (Sutherland) which of course he does. Well, his handler’s deadbeat son (Foster) is hellbent on finding the man that killed his father… but asks the hitman for help. Awkward… and the story goes from there. Basically it’s everything that you’d expect from a Jason Statham movie. Fights, guns, blood, shirtless, car chases, more fights, more guns, steely demeanors, don’t get me wrong, I like Jason Statham & he’s obviously the best there is as far as action heroes nowadays. I’m just saying nobody in this movie will be considered for an Academy Award. Action was okay… story VERY predictable… see it if you’d like.

Sunday, I had an early morning flight, which apparently went to LAX before going to SFO, which kinda sucked… but whatever, I had a seat with good legroom so I let it slide. Got back to the apartment, started unloading a few boxes in the bedroom, got a pizza with the roommates, then… they found the Rock Band. At that point, any plans that I had to finish the bedroom went completely out the window… but a Rock Band Party ensued… so it was okay. I don’t think I need to tell you… but the ladies were impressed with the Golden Pipes… and they haven’t experienced the guitar skills yet (apparently it’s still broken, but two new ones are on the way).

Monday was work, then Bubbles wanted company for her monthly grocery shopping trip… and I didn’t have any food, so I accompanied her there… and to Petco (had Brutis’ back to make sure she got the good stuff). Eventually I made it back home, unloaded some more boxes, then when the roommates started going to bed, I decided to go downstairs & watch a movie, “Repo Men” starring Jude Law, Forest Whitaker & Liev Schrieber. It’s a futuristic story of people basically repossessing organ transplants when hospital bills aren’t paid in a timely manner. Seems to make sense, right? Yeah, if you’re a heartless cretin like me… but apparently it’s a bad thing. It’s a movie full of parellels & metaphors for the human condition… and it’s actually a pretty good flick, though gritty & bloody at times, but nothing amazing. The RZA had a cameo so I had to throw up a WU but other than that, not a whole lot of great things about the movie.

Tuesday was work, even though I was feeling a little under the weather (usual Vegas weekend flu?) then I was able to set up my bed, just in time to go to the George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic concert at Yoshi’s Jazz Club. The venue was surprisingly nice… not sure what I was expecting exactly but this was above & beyond… like a real nice jazz club with seats, waitresses, and of course… a dance floor. Once the music started, this white boy got funky. I hate to say it… but George is getting up there in the years… and I think he might have a throat ailment or two… but he’s still a great performer, full of charisma, and P-Funk is absolutely amazing. The concert was over three hours… and brought out all the classics… and even George’s granddaughter had a nice couple of numbers. I couldn’t quite make out her name (throat ailment or two) but yeah, pretty good. Google it. Even mild illness couldn’t keep me from getting my funk on for hours at a time… but I sure felt it this morning when I woke up. Well worth it though. If you EVER get a chance to see them in concert, do yourself a favor and get seats… or dance floor admission. Whatever’s clever.

Anyway, that’s the week that was. I’ll try to keep up on this thing a little better now that I’m starting to get settled… but hey, if you don’t hear from me, it obviously means that I’m out doing something fun… so I won’t feel too bad about it & neither should you. Have a great day everybody!!!

I'M IN!!!

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

It's getting so close to official it's scary. As of now, my moving van has been unloaded and all my crap sits in the living room of my new apartment. The occupants of my bedroom should be moved out by Wednesday night so that I can move in (and get some of my crap out of the living room) but then... I'll be heading to Vegas Thursday... but it's all good, because when I return, I'll have a home. It's been weird where I've basically only slept a night or two in my own bed since Christmas... but hey, that's what happens with the Holidays, moving to a new city, etc. Anyway, more details forthcoming in the weekend summary...



Friday night after work, I didn't do much because Bubbles was having a bad day... and I wanted to be there for her to help out... but she wanted privacy that night, so I just told her I'd be around & watched "The A-Team" downstairs. I kinda needed to relax (and find out what was going on with my new apartment) anyway, so it all worked out. You know, sometimes I wish I could just... make people feel better. Like THAT!!! Snap my fingers, pat them on the back, let them know how amazing & wonderful they are... and poof, all better. Unfortunately it's just not that way... but damn it, I'm gonna try to help... and she is feeling better now. Sometimes, all you need is time. Anyway, so "The A-Team" starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper & Jessica Biel was exactly what you would expect in an action-comedy... or as Bubbles so properly put it "a total guy movie" and she's right... but still liked it. Based on the infamous 80's TV series, this is kind of the prequel (setting up future movie sequels) to the TV series, about four Army Rangers who meet by chance in Mexico, become an elite team for the military, and then are caught in the middle of a fiasco in which they are blamed for a death of a general, stealing a billion dollars (yes, a Billion with a B) & sentenced to 10 years in prison. So obviously they have to break out of prison and clear their names... and then Act 2 begins. It's pretty funny at points, full of action, all the cheesy one-liners & "stupid" love story that you would expect... but yeah, if you like action-comedies, it's a pretty good one. I thoroughly enjoyed it... so much that I had no problems with watching it a second time when Bubbles wanted to check it out the next day.



Saturday, during the day, I wandered around the Presidio to get acquainted with my new home (and let Bubbles sleep in) so I basically wandered down to Crissy Fields... then to Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge... and then back towards the Palace of Fine Arts & the Exploratorium... and then I was ready to take the shuttle into downtown for a bite... but the shuttle doesn't run on weekends or holidays (I found out 40 minutes later) so I walked to a burger joint just outside of the Presidio Gate (I think it was Original Buffalo Wings or something). Here are some pictures...



Saturday night, Bubbles & I met up with a friend of hers from Vegas... at a drag show... at a bar called Aunt Charlie's... in the Tenderloin... which I found out... is the ghetto. Luckily I now know where I can get some cheap crack in a pinch... but we were kinda dressed up (definitely by this place's standards) and it's not like we knew exactly where we were going. Alas, we made it safely (I'm kind of an imposing figure), enjoyed the show, had a few drinks & even went to Icon to dance... for about 20 minutes before closing. It was a pretty fun night... and the best part, Bubbles didn't drink herself into a stupor. YAY!!!



Sunday, I met up with the new roommates (ended up meeting all three of them eventually) and they are AWESOME!!! I'm really excited about it. I met two of them around noon, we chatted, discussed bills, house rules, application to live in the area, blah blah blah, you know, roommate stuff... and I brought cookies (because I'm awesome too) and we just got a long great. They're fun, energetic girls in their twenties with college degrees (straight, by the way... but there doesn't seem to be any real sexual tension either way... and I have my own bathroom so no "Oops!!! Wow!!!") and they even offered to help me unload my moving van... after knowing them for an hour. So yeah... they helped a bit (you know, 30 pound limit and all) and then after unloading, we went to a place called Avellino's right outside the Lombard Gate for pizza & a few beers... and that's where we ran into the third roommate. Again, really excited... though obviously cautious since I'll be living with three female roommates... and the only female roommate I've ever had is my mom when it was just the two of us... but hey, I seem to remember that going pretty damn well.



Sunday night after pizza was TPN at Bubbles' household. What's TPN you ask? Twin Peaks Night... in which they watch a few episodes of the incredibly odd TV series Twin Peaks... and in between they have wine, homemade pie & ice cream. Yeah! Perfect! That's what I said too. Since I had helped Bubbles catch up with the last 6-7 episodes of Twin Peaks, I was right there with them... or as right there as somebody can be with the David Lynch show... but yeah, good times. So then after that, I fell asleep to watching Mystery Science Theatre 3000 "Hercules Versus the Moon Men" because I had an early morning... in which I FINALLY dropped off my moving van... and was charged a substantial sum for it. How substantial? Well, when I walked in the door, the guy said "You must be the Reno guy!" "Yes... I am the Reno guy... who's putting your kids through college for the past week." That's how substantial. Oh well, it's done & I now have absolutely no problem with selling my stuff before the next move if needs be... but they probably won't. I plan on sticking around for a while. I like it here. I like the roommates. They seem to like me (but we've known each other an afternoon). The job's great. The people are amazing. There's so much stuff to do that I'm not even taking advantage of yet. I'm liking it a lot. So here's some news...



Nose Bandit - A 22-year-old Salt Lake man was charged Wednesday with felony mayhem for allegedly biting off a piece of another man's nose, court documents state. The second-degree felony count of mayhem, domestic-violence related, was filed in 3rd District Court after a Sunday incident involving Joshua Michael Bowen, 22. A statement by police says Bowen became angry and attacked the father of his girlfriend (yes, this nose biter had a girlfriend). He is accused of biting the other man on the nose, taking off a piece of it and then putting his finger in the man's mouth to rip the side of it open (“Why so serious?”). The girlfriend's 20-month-old daughter was home at the time, resulting in the domestic violence enhancement. Sounds like a great guy, right? Well, this isn’t the only nose-related news…



Snorting is NOT Good - Burglars snorted the cremated remains of a man and two dogs in the mistaken belief that they had stolen illegal drugs (in an urn?), Florida sheriff's deputies said on Wednesday. The ashes were taken from a woman's home in the central Florida town of Silver Springs Shores on December 15. The thieves took an urn containing the ashes of her father and another container with the ashes of her two Great Danes, along with electronic equipment and jewelry, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said. Investigators learned what happened to the ashes after they arrested five teens in connection with another burglary attempt at a nearby home last week. "The suspects mistook the ashes for either cocaine or heroin. It was soon discovered that the suspects snorted some of the ashes believing they were snorting cocaine," the sheriff's report said. Once they realized their error, the suspects discussed returning the remaining ashes but threw them in a lake instead because they thought their fingerprints were on the containers, sheriff's spokesman Judge Cochran said. Police divers were trying to recover the ashes (really? You know those things don’t handle water well, right?). The suspects were jailed on numerous burglary and other charges. You know… it sounds really stupid, right? Well, I’d be lying if I hadn’t heard my friends talk about getting cremated… and then wanting me to snort them. “Dude, no way. Maybe a horrible cup of tea or something, but there’s no w… wait, why the hell would you want that?” This would usually start a rant during which I would question why we were friends… but yeah, it is stupid.



Confiscated Mammoth Tusks - Russian authorities have confiscated three tonnes of mammoth tusks from a criminal gang which tried to smuggle them out of the country (that's right... ruskie tusk smugglers are REAL!!!). The court office of the northern city of St. Petersburg said on Thursday that it had confiscated some 64 full and 14 reconstructed tusks, but would not say when. A small group of criminals has been involved in smuggling tusks and bones from the extinct beasts across Russia's borders since 2004, the court said in a press release. The court said that the tusks come from a species of mammoth that once inhabited the Siberian Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia (possibly made up). The tusks have survived thousands of years in the permafrost that covers vast part of the region... where their former honors have long since perished. The good news is... that the tusks have been found... and there's apparently a black market for prehistoric skeletons in Russia... so my dream of owning a T-Rex skull isn't a complete fantasy, just an expensive endeavour. Good to know... in case any of you are wonderful what to get me for my birthday and/or Christmas... and Valentine's IS just around the corner...



Iran: Not the US - Our favorite non-Christian country, Iran, has done it again. They have banned the production of Valentine's Day gifts and any promotion of the day celebrating romantic love to combat what it sees as a spread of Western culture, Iranian media reported. The February 14 celebration named after a Christian saint is not officially banned but hardliners have repeatedly warned about the corruptive spread of Western values. Under Iran's Islamic law, unmarried couples are not allowed to mingle (yeah... they just kind of marry... and live unhappily ever after I guess... or stay single & frustrated and blow up market places... think about it). The printing works owners' union issued an instruction on the ban, imposed by Iranian authorities, covering gifts such as cards, boxes with the symbols of hearts and red roses. "Honoring foreign celebrations is the spread of Western culture," said the union's head, Ali Nikou Sokhan, ILNA news agency reported. "Our country has an ancient civilization and various days to honor kindness, love and affection." Valentine's Day has become increasingly popular among the Iranian youth and is a money-maker for businesses in a country where 70% of people (left) are under 30 and have no memory of the 1979 Islamic revolution which toppled the U.S.-backed Shah. "Printing and producing any products related to Valentine's Day, including posters, brochures, advertising cards, boxes with the symbols of hearts, half-hearts, red roses and any activities promoting this day are banned," read the instruction. "Authorities will take legal action against those who ignore the ban." Some nationalists have suggested replacing Valentine's Day with "Mehregan," an Iranian festival celebrated since the pre-Islamic era. Mehr means friendship, affection or Love. That's right... in Iran, I'm referred to as Doctor Mehr-la-Allah-Sherpa. Google it.



What do you think about Valentine's Day? For the sake of argument, let's just agree on the FACT that is just a commercial holiday meant to stimulate the economies of greeting cards, candy, flowers, clothing, dinners, jewelry & top dollar vacations (for us big ballers). It's an absolute fact... and if you don't know, now you know. I'm in the industry. Does that mean that I'm completely against it? Of course not. That's like being against the Spirit of Christmas because I'm Jewish or something. I can still be kind to people... as I can also believe in romance & Love and all that hallmark crap even though my memories of Valentine's are plentiful & primarily sh*tty. Do I think it should be banned? Please. If they're not going to ban St. Patrick's Day because it promotes alcoholism & promiscuious sex (oh... and cultural diversity?) then what chance do you have against banning Love? I'm optimistic about this Valentine's though. Why? Why not? I'm in a beautiful city. I'm a charming man. Worst-case, if Bubbles is still (incredibly enough) single, I'm sure she'd be down for a night on the town... or the roommates... or I can celebrate National Single Awareness Day the old fashioned way, getting drunk with friends watching Scarface or Fight Club or something. Oh... you would think Love Actually or some cheesy romantic comedy, right? F**k that cheesy sh*t. I'm having a good time... and I half-gag when I watch that stuff sober, so after a few games of shotglass checkers, something bad might happen.



Anyway, that'll do it for today. Thanks for listening y'all... and I'll see ya around... probably after an epic weekend in Vegas with the Wingman. Have a great day everybody!!!

I'm Here!!!

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

I know, I know… it’s been too long. Let me assure you, I’ve been insanely busy transporting my life from Tahoe to San Francisco. For example, that first weekend, I went down to San Francisco & checked out apartments… about a dozen in total. For those who don’t know, you kind of audition to be a roommate or to get an apartment in the city because, I guess demand’s pretty high and they want to make sure that you’re a good fit. It’s different to me because every other time has been, “Do you have a check that you can write me?” “Yes.” “Congratulations! You’ve been approved!” So then… we played the waiting game.


That Saturday night, Bubbles, myself & her roommate’s friend went to a club called Icon… did some dancing, had a few drinks, good times… then I drove Bubbles home a little early because she started turning pale. Not good. I think it was just the heat of the club because after a little fresh air and sitting, she was just tipsy. We still had fun until that point though.


Sunday was more apartment investigation, then Bubbles & I went on our way to the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park. Unfortunately just before kickoff, we were having dinner… and Bubbles started having a migraine...so I figured the last place to take her would be a football game with 40,000 screaming fans… so I took her home and we watched some movies instead. Apparently it wasn’t that good of a game anyway.


Instead I watched “Dirty Dancing” for the first time… which is her favorite movie & made her feel better… except for when I threw out a few comments about the movie. What can I say? The soundtrack is great… and chicks seem to love it. Really. I’m pretty sure that it’s the favorite movie of at least one in three women. Go ahead and ask around. Test my theory. It’s basically the equivalent of “Scarface” to men’s favorite movies… and the opposite sex usually just doesn’t “get it” when it comes to the other. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it. There’s dancing, a steamy love story between a young teenager and the older bad boy in tight pants, the annoying older sister, the dad who would do anything for his baby (and by the way, the dad is awesome in that movie… and I think acting perfectly rational throughout), and did I mention the soundtrack was awesome? Is it a favorite of mine now? Hell no… but if it makes the ladies happy, you can’t hate on it.


After that, was the first week at the new job, meeting all the new faces, learning all the new tricks of the trade, getting lost in a maze of offices & back hallways, but through it all the new coworkers & bosses were amazing… and I’m really picking it up quickly. We’ve even already hung out after work a few of the nights at my new favorite bar, Grumpy’s. It’s a nice pub atmosphere place, kind of a locals dive… but the service is great, drinks are affordable, and it’s convenient to my new office so that I can get a quick drink (or two) after a long stressful day. By the way, did I mention that I actually have an office now? Sure it’s a glorified windowless closet in real life… but it is my office… and it has plenty of shelf space for my stuff so it’s not all on my desk in a mess.


Oh… a few days into the work week, that’s when I got the offer for the room that I was hoping for… but there was a catch, the people currently living in it had to get word from the apartment they were looking to move into… but it’s basically the perfect situation for me. It’s the master bedroom (11’ x 13’) with plenty of closet space & my own bath with shower, shared four bedroom, and the other three roommates are all college educated females in their 20’s & not a whole lot more than the clothes on their back. I’m not joking. It’s just about the perfect situation for me, I think. Mostly because I have a lot of sh*t… but also, the roommate situation might be very interesting, you know, living with girls… and being outnumbered. Oh… and oddly enough, it’s less than a block from Bubbles’ apartment. I looked at over a dozen places in the Presidio, about 10 square miles, and the place that calls back with the best offer is a block from my buddy. Like I said… perfect situation for me.


That next weekend, Bubbles & I drove to Tahoe to meet up with my mom, my cousin Alicia & my Tahoe roommate W to pack up my crap, load it into the moving van & then drive it down to San Francisco (still unaware of where it was going to be stored since I was awaiting word on the new apartment’s availability). So why did I do it? It was a GORGEOUS weekend in Tahoe, my mom was going to be there anyway (previous trip planned) & frankly, who knows how the next weekend would be. It worked out for the best though. Everything went smoothly… except for us having a little too much wine maybe… but still good times. Also, the first time that Bubbles met my mom… and she hearts her, of course. What’s not to Love?


The next day, we had breakfast after a late rise (again, wine) and then W helped me load the few heavy items that I had, then it was basically me loading most of the stuff into the van while they cleaned afterwards (because I want my deposit back). It took a while… because I have a lot of stuff… but we got done around sunset & were on the road by 5 PM after a hug goodbye. Bubbles followed behind me in Gretchen… and when the last four moves that I’ve helped with were over 4000 miles combined (three for me & Filly’s), this 200 miles was nothing. We were back to the City by 9 PM and ordering Chinese from Ho’s.


The past few days, I’ve just been waiting to get the word to move into the new apartment (and getting charged $50 a day while waiting) and I’ve only met one of my new roommates… but it’s back to work as usual & exploring the city. I’m really enjoying it… except that I need to get moved in soon. I don’t want to be a burden on Bubbles & her roommates… and they’ve been more than incredible in helping me. I just don’t want to wear out my welcome… and I’ve been sure to give Bubbles her space the past few days. I’m sure she’s pretty much sick of me by now… but hey, I know they understand. We had the discussion when I first showed up that I don’t want to be in their way any more than I have to… and I’m willing to buy dinner, pay rent, etc. but they seem cool with it. Maybe it’s just me being paranoid or something. Why do I care what other people think so much? I should be independent of that by now, right? I pretty much am… but I just keep going to new towns on new adventures… so there’s always new first impressions… and I’d just prefer them to be good ones.


At this point, I would just like to thank everybody who made this all possible… especially Bubbles. Without her, I wouldn’t have known about this job opportunity, wouldn’t have known much about the area from my previous visits, wouldn’t have had a place to crash in the area that I was looking for apartments (and would’ve been MUCH more expensive than it already is), wouldn’t have had someone to show me around the office & introduce me to people, wouldn’t have had as much help moving this past weekend, wouldn’t have had someone to bring Gretchen while I drove the van, wouldn’t have had someone to hang out with after hours & share laughs with while I’m so stressed out, and now you can probably see why she’s sick of me. Like I said, we’ve basically been side to side for nearly two weeks. Anyway, I can never repay you for helping me during this past month… but I’ll certainly try.


Also, my mom, my cousin, my roommate W, all the people at work, everybody out there for supporting me & giving me suggestions & advice, I really do appreciate it… and I’m incredibly excited for the new possibilities that this city has to offer. I’ve already met some fantastic coworkers, someone in the movie industry, a few great bartenders, some of my neighbors while out walking Brutis, & am still finding all the things like… the closest grocery store, delivery places, dry cleaners, hospital, etc. but once I get moved in, it’ll all fall into place like a great puzzle… and I’m curious to see how it turns out. Sure, I miss Tahoe a little bit… but I’m just so excited about my future here… and new experiences… and even the “bad things” about the area like the fog & the rain… really not a big deal to me at all. So yeah… that’s what I’ve been up to in a brief summary. Can’t wait to show you all the pictures… like this one of how much crap I have still…



Have a great day everybody!!!

Fortune As I Desire

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Well… it’s basically the eve before I go to San Francisco to look for a home (or at least a temporary residence). One more day at work… and then leaving after so that I can hopefully avoid the storm coming in this weekend. Then after a weekend of searching The City for a future pad with or without roommates, then I get an evening of relaxing chaos at the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (GO WOLFPACK!!!), then start the job at the new office bright & early on Monday morning. Next weekend will hopefully be the Big Move… but first, I have to find a forwarding address. I cannot tell you how incredibly excited I am for this move… and the last few days at work have been INSANELY busy… so it’s made it very easy to walk away from… I can’t lie, I kinda had a f**k it attitude at moments… but I’m a professional & set them up VERY well for some time to come. I will miss all the ladies & gentlemen that I worked with for the past year or so… and though it’s been a sudden switch, it was a difficult decision to make… but it felt like something that I simply had to do… and the time was right (for me, not necessarily the Tahoe office, but whatever, they had their chances).

Now I go to a new opportunity to explore a new city in depth, a job that pays pretty well, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, there’s so much to do, I seriously already have four concerts (Albino, George Clinton with Parliament Funkadelic & TWO Richard Cheese) in the next six weeks that I KNOW I’m going to… and a football game this weekend. I’m really excited about the new office I’ll be working in and learning & growing with the company, as well as an individual as I hope to get back into doing things that bring me joy… like charity, spending time with great people, working out more, playing basketball & just enjoying all the things around me. Obviously I’ve felt a little lonely & isolated here in Tahoe… but I have a feeling that’s going to change here in the next few weeks. 2011 has already been pretty fantastic so hopefully it will only get better… and maybe some of my good vibes will rub off on Bubbles, as she’s apparently had a pretty sh**ty year so far… but that’s what I’m here for, right?

The real joy of my life is bringing joy to others… and I feel like I’ve been missing that. There have been a few instances where I can make people at work laugh, the roommate loves my sense of humor (watched “Boyz N the Hood” last night & let’s just say, I have a way of breaking the drama) & I can usually make people laugh over the phone… but they’re usually few & far between. I really can’t wait to get out there and see what’s going on in The City and (knock on wood) maybe stay there for a while as at least a pseudo-home. This being a wandering gypsy thing is tough when you have a lot of crap & nobody to share your experiences with (except both of you who read this thing) but you know me, I’d like to establish some roots, maybe set up a family down the line, but I’m pretty free spirited & anything’s a possibility at this point. Oh well, time will tell where this journey leads me… but I’m excited for the next few steps. I really hope that I find a fantastic living situation for me this weekend… and I hope that you all get to visit & let me share my experiences with you. Wish me luck!!!

Fortune Cookie of the Day - "You will have Fortune as you Desire... in bed!!!" - Guess who's gonna be bangin' on a pile of money in the near future... Have a great weekend everybody!!!

Christmas 2010

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Just taking a quick break from packing, rearranging, and evaluating what I need to survive... and all the piles of other sh*t that I have. Don't worry, I'm not going to go into another "Into The Wild" kind of rant like I've done many times before (though it's still always in the back of my mind) but instead I'll just say that I probably have the heart of a noble gypsy... and talk about the wonderful week back in Utah for the holidays. And a he' he' go...

Thursday - Christmas Eve Eve

Spent the night at a hotel in Reno so that I wouldn't have to worry about driving in the morning, any possible "surprise six" storms or anything like that... and it worked out perfectly. The place even had a complimentary hotel shuttle, breakfast, and a fantastic front desk agent who I chatted with about the area. Great guy... but yeah, nothing major. Watched some football & some bits of movies like "Gremlins" and "A Few Good Men" flipping through the channels. Yawn... slept like a baby...

Friday - Christmas Eve

Early morning flight, got to Utah around noon, stepmom picked me up, did some present wrapping, went to my stepfamily's annual Christmas party... and my favorite part about it really... is they have all the kids dress up in bathrobes and angel costumes and stuff... and do a quick Nativity Scene while grandpa reads the passage from the Bible about it & the kids dress as Mary, Joseph, the wisemen, angels, farm animals (sometimes) and of course, baby Jesus... and I've really liked it that the past few years, thanks to adoption... we've had a beautiful black baby Jesus... and I think that's awesome for a Mormon family to see. I'm easily amused. Anyway, here are some pictures...

Spent the night at my brother's house so that we could do the early morning kid thing with the niece & nephew (and my mom was graciously invited to give them gifts for an hour by my brother... douche) but yeah... the kids were excited that Uncle $teve would get to sleep in their room with them (on a blow up twin sized mattress).

Satuday - Christmas

Was awoken by my niece Kairi yelling "Uncle $teve, wake up, it's Christmas!!!" and then jumping on me as I lay in bed... quickly followed by my nephew Vinny yelling excited gibberish (or maybe I was just groggy) so I got up and we went to open presents. Seriously, cutest kids in the world... no disrespect to other kids out there... but seriously... just look at 'em...

"I'll never join you! You killed my father!"

"No Vinny... I... AM... your father."

"NOOOOOOOO!!!"

After a few hours, we then headed to my dad's Chrstmas morning in Slick City, opened some presents, had some breakfast, good times...

My dad likes guns...

and this could be incriminating at some time...

Vinny's present was a nerf gun bigger than him...

This picture was taken moments before

Uncle $teve got shot in the groin

After a few hours there, I then drove up to my mom's house for even more presents, and hanging with my mom, stepdad, Aunt Pat, & Alicia... and of course Kiel stook around for a while trying to cause a fight & being grumpy the whole time... because he's a douche... but whatever... his issues. We all had fun in spite of him... and that probably pissed him off even more. Played this stupid dice game called Farkle... and that's all I have to say about that (even won once... but yeah, lame). Elefun with the kids was even better. Slept beneath my old bedroom set with all the mirrors (stashed at my mom's until I stop being such a gypsy) so that was cool.

It's a sanitizing wand... get your mind out of the gutter

Sunday

Spent the morning hanging out with my mom... and then went to my brother's (aunt's really... but that's where he's staying while his condo is being remodeled) and hung out with the kids for the day. I don't understand why... but we were having a lot of fun... and he just likes yelling at the kids for being kids sometimes. Especially while he's just sitting playing video games. "QUIET!!! I can't hear the TV" and fully forgetting that I'm in the room playing with them making sure they're not breaking stuff. I hate to dwell on the douchiness of my brother sometimes... but it's just so constant. So why spend time with him? Same reason as everybody else...

That night, we met up with my dad... and went to see "Tron: Legacy" in IMAX 3D... and it was AWESOME!!! I highly recommend it. Spent the night at my dad's... but then realized that I left one of my suitcases at my brother's... so I knew that I'd probably end up spending the next day there when I went to pick it up.

Monday

Left around noonish (nobody at dad's home anyway) and hung out with my brother for the day. Not a whole lot going on other than he had the balls to show me his condo that's being remodeled... and all the stuff that's being added (jetted tub, built-in surround sound, new appliances, etc) and I basically wanted to punch him in the dick for about an hour... but whatever... apparently being a douche has its benefits. That night, we watched "Inception" another great flick that I highly recommend. I mean... it won the $tevie in my last entry.

Tuesday

Met up with K-Fish to go see Snow Basin and have some lunch at the Needles Restaurant at the summit... and it was some great Wiener Schnitzel with Spaetzle. Funny thing, though I lived within a half hour of Snow Basin for the VAST majority of my life... I had never gone up there before. Pretty sweet.

That night, I met up with Lilie, her fiance Kyle, A-Lo, Bubbles & JL Clyde for some sushi at Simply Sushi... and we just had a great old time catching up on eachother's lives... and then A-Lo, Bubbles & I went to Gracie's for some drinks. I did enjoy how all the guys were hitting on the two lovely ladies with me... but then they'd ask my relation to them... and they would respond with "He's our pimp" and trust me... these guys couldn't afford what these girls are worth on any level. Thanks ladies.

Wednesday

Spent the day with my dad watching movies like "The Expendables" and "Transporter 3" and just having a good old time, ordering a pizza for lunch & what have you. Then he took me to the airport as a blizzard was forming... but there's a good thing that came out of this airport visit. I tried something crafty... and it worked beautifully. So, I was in the security line... and there was a VERY cute redhead TSA agent giving patdowns... but to the ladies. There was a dude in his forties patting the gentlemen... so I thought I'd try something. My turn came up... I went through the little scanner cylinder thing... and as I came out, he said he was going to pat me down, so I said, "Well, I think it'd be more comfortable for both of us if somebody else did." "What do you mean?" "Well... let me put it this way, I'm moving to San Francisco in a week... but if you're comfortable with it, I am." Apparently he wasn't comfortable with it... so then he asked the cute redhead to step in (as I tried not to smile). Arms out to the sides, she checks my ribs for... not sure what exactly, gun holsters? Then she says, "I'm going to check your backside if that's alright." "Absolutely. Safety first." So she does a quick glide over my back & buttocks, no real groping... but whatever, her loss. She gave me a smile, said I was good to go, and then asked, "You're not gay, are you?" "I'm very happy. On behalf of all of us, thank you for keeping the skies safe. Happy holidays!" and walked off. So the playing "the gay card" apparently does work... but the best part was... I didn't have to lie to play it. My comfort level would've increased getting groped by a cute redhead as opposed to a middle aged dude. I am moving to San Francisco in a week. I was also very happy afterwards.

After that, it was a lot of delays, a few drinks at the bar, a chat with a lady with an English accent on her way to Boise & moving to Scottsdale (we chatted for about a half hour), sitting in a parked airplane for about two hours before take-off, an hour flight, waiting for another hour for my luggage, and then finding the city of Reno had been converted to an ice skating rink the night before... and after nearly getting hit by a sliding semi truck... while inside a sliding taxi van... I figured that the best idea was to stay at the hotel until morning when hopefully the roads would be a little clearer. It was late anyway.

Since then I've just been catching up at work (last week starting Monday), packing up for the move & making arrangements, and my New Year's Eve was kinda lame (just like last year) but whatever... just means a new year number on my checks.

That was my Christmas holiday, hope you all enjoyed. Really excited about this new adventure to San Francisco... and I have a lot of sh*t to move / give away in a week or so's time. Have a great night everybody!!!