The View from the Other Side

The Big To-Do SF: 250 Things to Do Before You Die

2009-08-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

A few months back I posted a list of 100 things to eat in San Francisco before you die, courtesy of 7x7 Magazine. 7x7 is at it again, this time with a list of the 250 things to do in SF before you die. The list contains a neighborhood by neighborhood overview of the activities that make San Francisco, well... San Francisco. Below is the top 100 from the list. So far, I've done 19, 20, 39, 40, 44, 51, 56, 59, and 90 (only the de Young - I desperately want to go to the California Academy of Sciences). The full list contains things to do in many other neighborhoods, like Russian Hill, Bernal Heights, NoPa, and others. (Also check out the Google map of the list.)

1. Listen to your friends’ first gig at Hotel Utah. (SoMa)

2. Walk under the waterfall at Yerba Buena Gardens. (SoMa)

3. Shop for urban menswear at Rolo. (SoMa)

4. Be a woman among men and go dancing at theStud. (SoMa)

5. Feather your nest at 411 Vermont Street (Obsolete, Blackman Cruz, Therien & Co.). (SoMa).

6. Have some watermelon wheat beer at 21st Amendment. (SoMa)

7. Rush the sales at Jeremys. (SoMa)

8. Meet your match over a glass of wine atDistrict. (SoMa)

9. Soak in the art and some Blue Bottle on the new SFMOMA rooftop. (SoMa)

10. Have a quiet moment in the Contemporary Jewish Museum plaza. (SoMa)

11.Pick up some Italian roast at Graffeo Coffee. (Northbeach)

12. Remind yourself that Tommaso’s old-school pizzas are still some of the best. (Northbeach)

13. Attend a reading at City Lights. (Northbeach)

14. Grab the perfect gift for your girlfriend atEden & Eden. (Northbeach)

15. Light a candle in memory of someone special at Sts. Peter and Paul Church. (Northbeach)

16. Have pumpkin ravioli at L’Osteria. (Northbeach)

17. Catch a show at Bimbo’s. (Northbeach)

18. Take a seat at the counter for a meatball sandwich at Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store. (Northbeach)

19. Climb the Filbert Street and Greenwich Street steps. (Northbeach)

20. Don’t miss the Coit Tower murals. (Northbeach)

21. Use the general password (“books”) to drop into the library at Bourbon & Branch. (Tenderloin)

22. Do dinner and view a show from the balcony at the Great American Music Hall. (Tenderloin)

23. See what’s on display at the Shooting Gallery. (Tenderloin)

24. Hang out in the smokers’ cage at Rye. (Tenderloin)

25. Grab a Vietnamese sandwich from Saigon Sandwiches. (Tenderloin)

26. Sing and clap on Sunday morning at Glide Memorial. (Tenderloin)

27. Get a lap dance at Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theatre. (Tenderloin)

28.Shop for cool kicks at Huf Shoes. (Tenderloin)

29. Then cross the street and have dinner at tinyCanteen. (Tenderloin)

30. Watch naan being pulled straight from the tandoor at Shalimar. (Tenderloin)

31. Do dinner at A16 and a movie at the Presidio Theatre. (Marina)

32. Load up a Let’s Be Frank grass-fed dog with devil sauce. (Marina)

33. Fly a kite at Crissy Field. (Marina)

34. Be a lady who lunches at Balboa Café (but get the burger). (Marina)

35. Get hit on at the MatrixFillmore. (Marina)

36. Find a deal at My Rommate’s Closet. (Marina)

37. Make friends with someone that owns a sailboat. (Marina)

38. Conduct an ethereally quiet wee-hours grocery run to Marina Safeway. (Marina)

39. Have a beer on the back patio of the Tipsy Pig. (Marina)

40. Follow up a run through the Presidio with a hearty brunch at Rose’s Café.

41. Reserve a private karaoke room at Doremi Music Studio (and cross your fingers for “Sweet Caroline”). (Pac Heights)

42. Find a drop-dead, Aussie-designed dress atElizabeth Charles. (Pac Heights)

43. Check out the southern view from the top ofAlta Plaza Park. (Pac Heights)

44. Get a taste of the Mission at Pizzeria Delfina. (Pac Heights)

45. Grab a free poster after a show at theFillmore. (Pac Heights)

46. Take your laptop to the Grove and pretend to work. (Pac Heights)

47. Get naked at Kabuki Springs & Spa. (Pac Heights)

48. Indulge in an almond croissant from the original Boulangerie Bay Bread. (Pac Heights)

49. Check out the adorable puppies and kitties up for adoption at Pets Unlimited. (Pac Heights)

50. See how many times you can jog the Lyon Street Steps. (Pac Heights)

51. Choose from the 50 selections on tap at Toronado and pair it with a beer sausage from Rosamunde. (Haight)

52.Time yourself at Kezar Stadium’s track. (Haight)

53. Play fetch with the dog at Buena Vista Park. (Haight)

54. Order an old-fashioned at the Alembic. (Haight)

55. Get a T-shirt designed by local artist Sam Flores at Upper Playground. (Haight)

56. Have barbecue and sake at Memphis Minnie’s. (Haight)

57. Catch an indie flick at the Red Vic. (Haight)

58. Take advantage of happy hour at Uva Enoteca. (Haight)

59. Shop for quality vintage wear at Held Over. (Haight)

60. Be a tourist and snap a pic of yourself at the convergence of Haight and Ashbury streets. (Haight)

61. Find love over fixed gears and coffee atRitual Roasters. (Mission)

62. Drink rosé at Dolores Park. (Mission)

63. Buy a heap of cheap avocados at Casa Lucas. (Mission)

64. Shop for emerging artists on a minigallery hop at Creativity Explored, Needles + Pens,Adobe Books, Michael Rosenthal and Jack Hanley. (Mission)

65. Drink a cheap, 16-ounce margarita at the Latin American Club. (Mission)

66. Wake up to a bowl of bread pudding atTartine Bakery. (Mission)

67. Ogle the midcentury chandeliers at Monument. (Mission)

68. Have a breakfast of huevos rancheros at Los Jarritos. (Mission)

69. Buy something beautiful at the Bell Jar. (Mission)

70. People-watch on a warm afternoon at theRevolution Café. (Mission)

71. Check out a gay-fabulous flick at Castro Theatre. (Castro)

72. Wait in line for a Superman sandwich with dirty sauce at Ike’s Place. Follow with Tums. (Castro)

73. Sit at the piano and sing along with the boys at Martuni’s (yes, this is technically next door in the Mission, but only geographically). (Castro)

74. Spend Sunday trying to keep count of the all-you-can-drink-for-$6 mimosas at Lime. (Castro)

75. Shop for feather boas and tool belts at Cliff’s Variety. (Castro)

76. Strike a pose at Friday’s happy-hour dance party at Badlands. (Castro)

77. Catch a concert at Café Du Nord (or a little acoustic at the adjacent Swedish American Hall). (Castro)

78. Have a 3 a.m. post-clubbing breakfast at Bagdad Café. (Castro)

79. Pick up some social criticism at A Different Light Bookstore. (Castro)

80. Hook up over coffee at Café Flore. (Castro)

81. Watch the surfers at Kelly’s Cove. (Richmond)

82. Browse the art books at Park Life. (Richmond)

83. See a double feature at the 4 Star Theatre. (Richmond)

84. Be thankful for Green Apple Books, the ultimate independent bookstore. (Richmond)

85. Pick out a fish from the tank for dinner at New May Wah market. (Richmond)

86. Have a bowl of ramen and listen to the Shitones at Halu. (Richmond)

87. Jockey for position at Pizzetta 211. (Richmond)

88. Drop in on a seisiún (a kind of Irish open jam session) at the Plough & Stars. (Richmond)

89. Bike the length of Golden Gate Park on Sunday when JFK Drive is closed to cars. (Richmond)

90. Check out the natural wonders at the California Academy of Sciences, or the latest exhibit at the de Young. (Richmond)

91. Rent an obscure European film from Le Video before video stores are extinct. (Sunset)

92. Order a Rotten Robby at The Pizza Place on Noriega. (Sunset)

93. Build a fire at Ocean Beach. (Sunset)

94. Read the Sunday Times and have blueberry pancakes at Park Chow. (Sunset)

95. Go with a big group for dumplings and beer at San Tung. (Sunset)

96. Buy a custom silk-screened T-shirt atMollusk Surf Shop. (Sunset)

97. Snack on Nick’s fried fish tacos atUnderdogs. (Sunset)

98.Get freshly roasted coffee at Henry’s House of Coffee. (Sunset)

99.Pick up some magic tricks at Misdirections. (Sunset)

100. Take a couple of kids to the SF Zoo. (Sunset)

God's view of work

2009-06-26T17:36:00.001-07:00

As I sit in the airport in San Francisco about to depart for a week of vacation, I couldn't help but blog about the topic of work. I've been reading a book about prayer which contains a bunch of excerpts from famous books, sayings, and prayers. Two of the ones I read this morning were on the topic of work and how christians should view work. The topic has been on my mind a lot lately and what I read this morning and some insightful comments from a friend have given me some clarity on the subject. Here are the two excerpts:

From Richard Foster's book Prayer:

"The work of our hands and of our minds is acted out prayer, a love offering to the living God. In what is perhaps the finest line in the movie Chariots of Fire, Olympic runner Eric Liddell tells his sister, "Jenny, when I run, I feel his pleasure." This is the reality that is to permeate all vocations, whether we are writing a novel or cleaning a latrine.
It is at the latrine cleaning that many have a problem. It is not hard to see how a Michelangelo or a T. S. Eliot is giving glory to God - theirs are creative vocations. But what about the boring jobs, the unimportant jobs, the mundane jobs. How are those prayer?
Here we must understand the order in the kingdom of God. It is precisely in the "slop-bucket job" - the work that we abhor - where we will find God the most. We do not need to have good feelings or a warm glow in order to do work for the glory of God. All good work is pleasing to the Father. Even the jobs that seem meaningless and mindless to us are highly valued in the order of the kingdom of God. God values the ordinary. If, for the glory of God, you are putting an endless supply nuts on a endless line of bolts, your work is rising as a sweet-smelling offering to the throne of God. He is pleased with your labor.
"Aren't you glorifying work a bit too much - you know, Protestant work ethic, and all?" you may be wondering. I think not. Work came before the fall, and the curse of the fall was that work would be "by the sweat of your brow" - that is, the results would not be commensurate with the labor put in. In fact, one of the clearest signs of the grace of God upon us is when the results of our labor are far in excess of the amount of work we do. We glorify God in our labor because we most closely approximate the Creator when we engage in the creative activity of work."

And this one is from Augustine:

"O Father, light up
the small duties of this day's life:
may they shine
with the beauty of your countenance.
May we believe that glory can dwell
in the commonest task of every day."

There are two ideas that came to mind while reading this that that I found thought provoking (the first courtesy of a good friend and the second from me):

1. I like the idea that it is by God's grace that we see fruit from our labor at all. And that we are abundantly blessed when "the results of our labor are far in excess of the amount of work we do." Isn't that exactly what we expect/demand from our jobs every day? That our little input will produce a great reward. We want to put in as little effort as possible to reap great reward. Putting work in that light, where the 'results' are a gift of grace, is humbling.

2. I know it's easier said than done, but what if we were to think of the most mundane tasks as a chance to glorify God. I'm challenged to think about how much more powerful and attitude-changing it would be to be able to think about my work this way. If I were able to think this way, I'd be that much more grateful and that much more able to make my work something that glorifies God and less of something that I may be tempted to use to glorify yourself. And I think more often than not, I'm in the business of working to glorify myself through money or power or success or reputation.

So, I'm excited about going on vacation this week! But I'm also interested in taking some time on vacation to think more about how these ideas could change the way I view and complete my work in a practical way.

What about you?? Leave a comment if you have any thoughts - I'd love to hear them.

It's not you, it's me

2009-06-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of blitzing the blog with new posts today, but clearly I hadn't posted in nearly two months. Up until now, I wasn't quite sure why I just couldn't get myself to post more. I have lots of ideas, but for some reason I don't ever actually take the time to post them. And I have been voraciously reading other blogs (I read at least 6 San Francisco food blogs - ridiculous, right?). And I do think there are some people out there who do want to read my blog. So, it doesn't add up, does it?

Today I read this article and helped me realize the reason why I am not a natural blogger. It's no secret that I am a classic introvert and while I have had a general understanding of what this means for me, the article hit home in new ways. I already knew that I'm not inclined to talk about myself very often, and I realized that the same holds true even in the virtual world. When I set up this blog, I thought that it would be easier to write about myself than to talk about myself. As it turns out it is just as exhausting of an activity virtually as it is in person. Anyone have any thoughts on this??

So, I guess this is my excuse to make me feel better for not posting much. I don't plan to end the blog, but I do expect to be ok with not posting as much and all I ask that you be ok with that too.

And with that, I'm off to go be by myself.

Best pictures from Ben and Sarah's wedding

2009-06-12T16:47:00.001-07:00

Matt, Ben, me and Dad just prior to the wedding.

Great picture of my family. The only person missing - Sarah!

Ben and Sarah had such a great time dancing!

I got to dance with the bride!

Classic Ben!

French Toast and fresh peaches

2009-06-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

Check out a new post of mine on the Gastrofabulous blog - how to make French Toast with fresh peaches - one of my favorite breakfast dishes to make.

Mission Street Food

2009-04-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

I know I have mentioned this before, but one of the best things about living in San Francisco is the abundant supply of excellent food. But even more exciting than the good food is the truly innovative atmosphere for making, serving, and eating food. On Saturday, I experienced one such innovation that I have a hard time imagining in any other city than San Francisco.

A few months back, a line cook at Bar Tartine in the Mission decided he wanted to use his one night off to experiment in a new kind of restauranting. He noticed that a food cart was going unused on Thursday nights. So, he set out to rent the cart for the night and serve gourmet food at rock bottom prices to anyone who wanted it. He expected a small group of people, but was surprised to sell out of food long before the customers ran out. This continued to happen every week, until he decided he needed to expand. He found a Chinese restaurant in the Mission willing to let him use the restaurant and part of the kitchen to prepare the food. It is such an interesting story and a unique experience in eating.

I found out about Mission Street Food through the Eater SF blog and immediately wanted to see this for myself. On Saturday I finally got the chance to go and took my visiting Mom and Aunt to experience something only found in San Francisco. To put it simply, it was an amazing experience.

We showed up at 5:40 PM to get in line and there were already about 20-25 people in front of us. We were fortunate to get seated in the first wave of diners, so we ate early, but didn't have to wait long (wait times can be measured in hours if you're not in the first wave, which I recommend you trying to do).

The food was spectacular. We had a snap pea salad, king trumpet mushrooms, and a ham and cheese sandwich, all spectacular. On came shrimp and grits with homemade sausage, which tasted so good, if I had been standing, my knees would have buckled. Next was a grass fed steak. And finally for dessert, we had butter-fried cornbread with whipped creme fraiche and blackberries and seriously, it was so freakin good that I wanted to lick the plate. I recommend bring a bottle of wine with you (only a $5 corkage fee). All of this was less than $60 for three people - such a deal! And to top it all off, the profits go to charity.

For more background on Mission Street Food, read this article from the Chronicle. And to check the menu for each Thursday and Saturday night dinner, check out the Mission Street Food blog. And of course, reviews on Yelp.

Best Wedding Ever!

2009-04-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know my twin brother got married on Saturday! (My apologies to Matt and Becca for this post's title - your wedding was just as good.) It's hard to distill down my thoughts and feelings from the weekend, but suffice it to say that I am humbled by how good God has been in bringing Ben and Sarah together. The weekend was an incredibly joyous celebration and a blatant display of God's love. I couldn't be happier for the newlyweds and I look forward to watching them grow old together. Check out the limited selection of pictures below. Hopefully more to come soon...

Ben putting his game face on

Mr. and Mrs. Niemitz's first dance

Ben and Mom dancing, while...

Sarah and her Dad danced.

The Door

2009-03-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but it is things like this that make me love the Internet. As many of you might know, John Calipari, the basketball couch at Memphis is considering a move to fill the coaching vacancy at Kentucky (one of the top jobs in college basketball). He has yet to announce a decision, so a Memphis TV station decided to put up a live web video stream of the door to the Memphis athletic department so people can watch for Calipari leaving with all his stuff. Another live web video stream is watching the gate in front of his house.

So, now naturally, the door is getting a lot of press and fans (it even has two Facebook groups devoted to it - 1, 2). Speculation is raging about the fate of the door. Plus, if you heart the Door, here is a t-shirt for you.

All this in less than 24 hours. Seriously, how great is the Internet?

Moustache-a-thon

2009-03-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to put in a plug for my friend Steve who is in a Moustache-a-thon to support the Capitol Letters writing center in DC.

You can donate money to Steve's campaign and watch his progress on the Moustache-a-thon blog. Last week the participants each got a straight-razor shave and each week they will track their progress and post pictures on the blog.

If you're in DC and want to attend one of the check-ins to lend your support, here are the details:
What: Moustache-a-thon Check-ins
Where: Asylum (2416 18th Street NW)
When: 7 p.m. every Tuesday in March
Who: You!

Much like 826 Valencia, where I have been volunteering some of my time, Capitol Letters is a literacy and writing center where students can get after-school tutoring and help with homework. They also have special workshops and opportunities for students to learn about writing and express their creativity in unique ways. It is a great program for a place like DC where the schools don't have the resources to provide these kind of programs. So, it is worthy of your support, especially if you live in the DC area (and I know many of you reading this blog do!)

The Crisis of Credit Visualized

2009-03-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

Avid readers may remember this post where I showcased a very cool example of displaying complex information in a understandable way - a topic that I find fascinating. Today, a colleague forwarded the video below to me. It is another superb example of taking something that is very complex (the credit crisis) and using visual media to make it dynamic, interesting, and clear to anyone who might watch. It is particularly impressive that he was able to hold my attention for a full 11 minutes - which is a very long time given today's short attention spans. Rarely do I spend more than a few seconds on something like this. We have all become very good as scanning the internet and synthesizing information, so it is really cool when something is of a high enough quality that you want to watch it all the way through. And he used Adobe Flash, After Effects, and Illustrator to create this, so yeah Adobe!

Credit to Jonathan Jarvis, a student at the Art Center College of Design, for this excellent piece.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Gavin Nuisance

2009-02-27T12:15:00.001-08:00

I'm not one to rant about politics (see my friend Tom for good political rants), but over the past two weeks, I have now received two emails from Gavin Newsom, the presiding mayor of SF. The first, and much more clever, was an email masquerading as a "SF economic stimulus" information letter. But, if you read the fine print (as I did when I was so stunned to have received such an email), the email was paid for by Newsom's California Exploratory Committee. It's no secret that Newsom is running for California Governor, but seriously, does it seem a little fishy to anyone else that he is tricking people into supporting his run for governor by getting in the door with what seems like routine SF business?

The second email arrived just moments ago, this one much more blunt.

I am mystified as to how they got my email address and what gives them any indication that I am remotely interested in supporting Newsom. I am one of the roughly 7 registered Republicans in SF and Newsom is basically the last person I want as governor of a state that already spends with reckless abandon and will continue to raise taxes and issue bonds to finance it all.

End of political rant. Oh, and don't vote for Newsom, he's fishy.

Arrested Development: The Movie

2009-02-24T15:26:00.001-08:00

In by far the best news I have heard today, it appears that Michael Cera has finally caved and agreed to do the Arrested Development movie. This is truly something to look forward to, as this was one of the most brilliant shows ever on television. If you've never seen it, get your act together and start watching!

Colorado Ski Trip 2009

2009-02-23T21:25:00.000-08:00

Over President's Day weekend, I traveled to Colorado with my sister, brother-in-law, brother, and future sister-in-law for our annual skip trip. My aunt, uncle, and three cousins live in Denver and have a house up in Winter Park. This is always one of my favorite weekends of the year and this year was another great trip filled with good times, good skiing, and time to catch up with family. The pictures below are some of the highlights.

All of us posing at Winter Park after a great day of skiing.

I was tired after a long day of following my uncle around the moguls on Mary Jane.

Ben and Sarah

Matt and Becca

Snowmobiling with Jack and Carrie. I got the snowmobile stuck in at least 2 feet of snow. Pulling a snowmobile out of a pile of deep snow is not fun.

Carrie and I called a cease fire on our snowball fight to pose for a picture with Becca.

All the cousins (Jack, Ben, Bailey, Sarah, Carrie, Matt, Becca, and Matt)

25 random things...

2009-02-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

So, if you're not on Facebook, maybe you don't know the current trend. But, people have been creating lists of 25 random facts about themselves and posting for all to read. You're supposed to tag people in the note and then they have to make the 25 random facts list. It's the modern day chain letter.

Anyway, I finally created my list and thought this would also make a great blog post, so here goes:

1. I never anticipated that I would ever live in San Francisco. But, I'm proud of the way I have embraced my new city. In less than 10 months, I've become a member of a great church, joined a community group there, explored many parts of the city, settled into a new job, set up an apartment, volunteered my time at several local organizations, and made a bunch of new friends.

2. After growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania, I have lived in three of the biggest cities in the country - Washington DC, Boston, and San Francisco. A big part of me wants to live in New York someday, just because it feels like the epicenter of everything, but I'm not sure I ever will. I also would love to live in London or Paris for a year or so.

3. I desperately want to be in an earthquake. I don't want anybody to get hurt or there to be major damage, but the geologist in me can't wait to feel the earth shake under my feet. I'm told that I live in a city that promises to make this wish come true.

4. My greatest athletic achievement will always be the time I pulled a 5 iron out of my golf bag and hit a golf ball 175 yards for a hole-in-one. I hope my golf game didn't peak that day, because it was ten years ago.

5. I have a oval shaped birthmark directly in the center of my stomach. With my two nipples as eyes, and belly button as mouth, the birthmark serves as the nose on my "stomach face." Don't even bother to ask me to show it to you, because I'll say no.

6. My birthday is December 27, and I've never been quite so open about this, but it sucks to have my birthday so close to Christmas. Few people ever remember it, I'm always away from friends, and I've had very few parties thrown for me. There are some positives though - I always get to spend my birthday with my family and I have never had to work or go to school on my birthday.

7. Despite my friends saying I missed the "best semester ever" at William and Mary, I will never regret spending the spring semester of my junior year in New Zealand. I saw some of the most amazingly beautiful settings in God's creation. I walked on a glacier, rafted down an underground cave, hiked miles of beautiful trails, bungee jumped, tasted amazing wine, looked at a lot of rocks, watched the sun set behind Mt. Cook, spent a night on a boat in Milford Sound, relaxed on beautiful beaches, soaked in natural hot springs, scuba dived (dove?) on the Great Barrier Reef, and toured the Sydney Opera House.

8. When I was in New Zealand, I purchased a car at auction for about $350 US dollars. It was a 1983 puke yellow Toyota Corona that I called "El Coche Corona." Despite a finicky stereo and a tendency to burn through oil, the car was a dream to drive all over the country (on the left side of the road!). I once got pulled over by a NZ policeman. When I handed him my Pennsylvania license, he made a face like he was reading something in another language. He asked if I was enjoying the country and I said "Yes, very much." His response - "well, slow down." When I left NZ, I sold "El Coche Corona" for $50 US dollars.

9. I have spent nearly 2 months of my life at sea on scientific research vessels in various locations around the world. I was on one expedition off the coast of Papua New Guinea, another that sailed from Astoria, Oregon to Panama City, Panama, and a third that sailed from Victoria, British Columbia to Acapulco, Mexico. On the third expedition, we had 18 foot swells - enough to cause my chair to move back and forth across the floor as I was sitting in it. I'm proud to say I never got seasick.

10. I firmly believe that all students must be able to communicate digitally to be successful in the 21st century workforce and I believe that with the right curriculum, technology can help create very special learning experiences that can engage students who are otherwise turned off to learning. I'm fortunate I get paid to help educators reach this goal.

11. I also believe that all people need to be scientifically literate in order to be able to make informed and wise decisions. One of my goals is to work to bring earth science to all people in a way that is applicable and interesting to the average person. I was fortunate to get to work toward this goal in my past job in DC.

12. Combining my passions in #10 and #11 into a single job would be my ideal situation. Someday, I'll figure out how to do that.

13. One of my best years was my senior year of college at William and Mary. I lived off campus with 7 other guys and we traveled to see W&M play football in Maine (via New York and Boston), rented an RV for fall break and drove to Mexico by way of New Orleans, spent Spring Break on a missions trip to an orphanage in Nicaragua, went fishing, went to the beach, drank beer on our deck, went to the Green Leafe and Pauls, watched selected scenes, laughed a lot, and generally had a great time. I studied a little bit too.

14. Because of the trip to Maine mentioned in #13, my roommates and I were named the William and Mary 2002 Fans of the Year. There was a ceremony where our names were announced and we each ran out onto the field during half time of a home football game.

15. I'm OCD about random things being straight or lined up. For example, in restaurants, the silverware always has to be lined up with each other and the napkin. Some of my friends have noticed this and purposely, but unbeknownst to me, put things askew just to watch me straighten them again.

16. In the dictionary, next to the word introverted, there's a picture of me.

17. It takes me a long time to get to know other people really well and I'm not very good at opening myself up and showing who I truly am until long after I meet people. I'm working on this...

18. I have freakishly long arms. One of my roommates in college has freakishly short arms. He is 6'3", I am 5'9" and we both can reach to the same height. Unfortunately, this means that I have never been able to find shirts that fit me right.

19. When I was very young, our regular babysitter couldn't babysit one night, so she asked her college roommate if she wouldn't mind babysitting us. She said yes. Her name: Rosie O'Donnell.

20. One of my lifelong goals is a write a book. I'd like to say it would be a novel, but I don't think I'm creative enough, so it will probably be non-fiction.

21. One of my favorite things to do is to spend part of my Sunday afternoon or evening reading the Sunday New York Times. Lately, I've become a little obsessed with trying to complete the Magazine crossword puzzle each week.

22. I published my senior thesis from college, "Millenial-scale variability in western tropical Atlantic surface ocean hydrography during the early Pliocene," in the journal Marine Micropaleontology. I am 95% sure that I am the only person that has every read this entire paper. If you're suffering from insomnia, I can send you the paper.

23. It usually takes me over an hour to fall asleep at night, cause I can't stop thinking about what happened to me that day or what's going to happen to me the next day.

24. I whistle a lot, but only when I'm alone. This is the result of me annoying my family with my whistling for so long, that I made it a habit to keep it to myself. I'm a really good whistler though - at times I've thought about entering some sort of whistling competition (there must be one out there, right?).

25. I love food and cooking. People think I am a good cook, but really I just follow directions and make reasonably simple things, which I think anyone can do.

New Pepsi logo based on magnetism of the earth

2009-02-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

Pepsi recently spent several million dollars on a new logo. Leaked internal memos from the design agency show a 27 page document with figures that relate the new logo to the magnetic field of the Earth and the Earth's geodynamo. This is yet another way that geology is cool and sexy. It's nice to see someone else get inspired by the Earth. But, unfortunately, I'm still gonna be a Coke drinker.

Super Bowl XLIII pick

2009-01-30T09:23:00.000-08:00

The big game is this weekend and since so many people look to me for betting advice, I thought I'd share my pick for the game.

There is really a pretty simple and logical way to determining the outcome of this game.

In Week 8, the Pittsburgh Steelers played the New York Football Giants at Pittsburgh and the Giants came out on top by a score of 21-14.

In Week 12, the Arizona Cardinals played the New York Football Giants at Arizona and the Giants came out on top by a score of 37-29.

Pittsburgh has a slightly better defense than the Giants and Arizona has a slightly better offense than the Giants. (It should be noted that the Giants had an overall (offense and defense) better year statistically then either Arizona or Pittsburgh.)

I see Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald lighting it up and putting up about 21 points on the Steelers defense. And despite Pittsburgh's less regarded offense, I see their defense putting some points on the board via turnovers. So, since the Giants can't win the game (by a mere technicality), I think it will be close, but I'm staying true to my Pennsylvania roots and picking the Steelers, 24-21.

Call your bookies now!

The Big Eat SF: 100 Things to Try Before You Die

2009-01-29T13:28:00.000-08:00

I ran across this list today and immediately decided to make it my culinary mission for my time in San Francisco, however long or short it ends up being. The list is below. I've already accomplished #17, 21, 35, 62, and 68, but I have a long way to go. First on my list is the BBQ places - I'm a bit surprised to see BBQ on here, but if I must try, I guess I'll have to give BBQ in SF another chance.

1. Roast chicken and bread salad at Zuni

2. Coffee-rubbed pork shoulder at Range

3. Carnitas taco at La Taqueria

4. Spicy crab and grits at the Front Porch

5. Chasu ramen at Katana-Ya

6. Burger with fries at Slow Club

7. Shaking beef at the Slanted Door

8. Morning bun at Tartine Bakery

9. Tofu soup with kimchi at My Tofu House

10. Baja-style fish tacos at Nick’s Crispy Tacos

11. Pork sugo with pappardelle at Delfina

12. Salt-and-pepper squid at Yuet Lee

13. Soup dumplings at Shanghai House

14. Beef brisket at Memphis Minnie’s

15. Oysters on the half shell at Swan Oyster Depot

16. Katsu curry from Muracci’s Japanese Curry & Grill

17. Tea-leaf salad at Burma Superstar

18. Salumi misti plate at Perbacco

19. Tuna tartare at Michael Mina

20. Chicken pot pie at Liberty Café

21. Pizza margherita at Pizzeria Delfina

22. Vietnamese roasted pork sandwich at Saigon Sandwich

23. Beer sausage with sauerkraut and grilled onions at Rosamunde Sausage Grill

24. Blue Bell Bitter from the cask at Magnolia Pub

25. Loaf of bread straight out of the oven at Tartine (bonus: sliced while still warm and slathered with Brillat- Savarin cheese from Bi-Rite, down the block)

26. A classic gin martini at Bourbon & Branch

27. Papaya salad with salty crab at Sai Jai Thai

28. A Gibraltar at Blue Bottle Café

29. Spaetzle at Suppenküche

30. Laughing Buddha cocktail at Cantina

31. Pan con chocolate with sea salt and olive oil at Laïola

32. Pupusas at Balompie Café #3

33. Prime rib at House of Prime Rib

34. Yellowtail collar at Oyaji

35. Salted-caramel ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery

36. Dry-fried chicken wings at San Tung

37. Rotisserie chicken at Limón Rotisserie

38. French fries at Hayes Street Grill

39. Pierna Enchilada torta at La Torta Gorda

40. Cheeseburger at Taylor’s Automatic Refresher

41. Pho ga at Turtle Tower

42. Fried-shrimp po’boy at Brenda’s French Soul Food

43. Mint julep at Alembic

44. Cannelé at Boulangerie Bay Bread

45. Galapagos cocktail at Absinthe

46. Chips and salsa at Papalote

47. Ceviche at La Mar Cebichería Peruana

48. Angels on horseback at Anchor & Hope

49. Ginger snaps at Miette

50. Giant pretzel with mustard at The Monk’s Kettle

51. Maccaronara with ricotta salata at A16

52. Fried brussels sprouts at SPQR

53. Garlic soup at Piperade

54. Spiced-chocolate doughnut at Dynamo Donut with a coffeeFour Barrel

55. Milk-roasted pork at L’Osteria del Forno

56. Caponatina with burrata at Beretta

57. Goat stew at Kokkari Estiatorio

58. Absinthe daiquiri at Jardinière

59. Huarache with cactus salad at El Huarache Loco

60. The Brass Monkey at Little Star Pizza

61. Crab soufflé at Café Jacqueline

62. Shrimp-and-chive dumplings at Ton Kiang

63. Meatballs with grapes at Aziza

64. Paper masala dosa at Dosa

65. Crispy eggplant at Jai Yun

66. Pig parts at Incanto

67. Sand dabs at Tadich Grill

68. Irish coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe

69. Licorice parfait at South

70. Omakase menu at Sebo

71. A Fernet at R Bar

72. Arancini at Ducca

73. Popovers with strawberry butterat the Rotunda

74. Corned-beef sandwich with Gruyère at the Sentinel

75. Fried green beans at Coco500

76. Chicken hash at Ella’s

77. Eggs benedict on the back patio at Zazie

78. Chilaquiles with a fried egg at Pastores

79. Onion strings at Alfred’s Steakhouse

80. Apple fritter at Bob’s Donuts

81. Chicken curry at Punjab Kabab House

82. Fried chickpeas at Piqueo’s

83. Sweet-potato fries with banana catsup at Poleng Lounge

84. A margarita at Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant

85. Pulled-pork sandwich at Roadside BBQ

86. A cheese slice at Arinell Pizza

87. Fresh spring rolls at Out the Door

88. Buckwheat crepe and a French cider at Ti Couz

89. Lamb schawerma at Truly Mediterranean

90. Slow-cooked egg at Coi

91. Albondigas soup at Mijita

92. Bacon-wrapped hot dog from a cart in the Mission (preferably when you’re drunk)

93. Seven courses of beef at Pagolac

94. Mango with chile, lemon and salt at Doña Tere’s cart

95. 3 a.m. bowl of caldo verde soup at Grubstake

96. Baby-coconut ice cream from Mitchell’s

97. Sesame balls at Yank Sing

98. Basil gimlet at Rye

99. Clam chowder at Hog Island Oyster Co.

100. Cheese course at Gary Danko

The Blog is back

2009-01-29T13:01:00.000-08:00

I didn't intentionally not post anything on my blog since November. Maybe it was the trauma of falling down a mountain (or not being able to top that post). Maybe I subconsciously needed a break from blogging (not that I have ever really written that frequently). Or maybe I just have had blog-writer's block. But, whatever the reason, I just haven't written.

But, good news - I've had some recent post ideas and I want to bring the blog back, so please come back and read again! Please...

Good, Bad, and Terrible ideas for hiking in Marin

2008-11-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

The Good: Ben, Steve, and I went hiking yesterday in the Marin Headlands near Muir Beach. It was a gorgeous day - 75 degree and sunny with great views down the coastline toward the city.

The Bad: We decided it would be nice to descend a slope down to the water and walk along the coastline toward Pirates Cove where we could meet back up with the trail.

The Terrible: After descending the slope about halfway, we realized that it was very naive to think we could get all the way to the bottom, so the only choice we had was to go back up from where we came. As I was trying to climb a steep rock face, I lost my footing and handholds and slid down the slope for 15-20 feet. Honestly, it was pretty miraculous that I didn't fall farther down the slope. And despite that fact that I was really banged up, I am lucky that I didn't injure myself even worse. Thanks to God for keeping me safe!

This is the slope that I would eventually slide down. I actually look somewhat impressive in this picture.

It's hard to see, but probably the worst injury was that I literally scraped about 5 layers of skin off three fingertips on my left hand.

As you can see, it's possible that my less than peak physical condition lead to the fall. But, my stomach is basically one big series of scrapes and cuts. I have similar injuries on my side, left thigh and both forearms and elbows. Cleaning these wounds with hot water and hydrogen peroxide was extremely painful. And I had to completely cover myself in Neosporin. I eventually made it up the slope via a different route and showed off my injuries to the other guys. This was a rough way to end a really nice weekend, but ironically, it was really nice to get out and get dirty when I spend most of my days in my little cubicle.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince international trailer

2008-11-04T10:42:00.000-08:00

This movie is looking pretty good. If only Warner Bros hadn't pushed the release date back to the summer...

Science Advice for the Next President

2008-10-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it feels like I am the only person interested in the presidential campaigns' thoughts and plans for science, science funding, and science education. But, in the interest getting some more people informed prior to the election, I'll share some of the resources I have come across in recent weeks.

Just today, the New York Times Science blogger, Andrew Revkin, addressed the topic in his Dot Earth blog. He includes links to letters written to both Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama by 178 organizations advocating for science funding, science education and competitiveness, and establishing a cabinet level science adviser. Also from Revkin: the candidates on climate change and energy security, American innovation and competiveness, and food and energy research gaps.

These same 178 organizations solicited the campaigns for their answers to the 14 most pressing science questions facing America. The Sciencedebate 2008 website contains the answers to those questions from both campaigns.

I also found the article written by Michael Pollan (In Defense of Food, The Omnivore's Dilemma) about what the next president should do about farming and food production to be very interesting and worth a read.

Here's hoping you spend at least a little time reading about science and if you haven't already voted, taking this issue into consideration as you make your decision.

W&M 5 Year Reunion

2008-10-30T15:35:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe that it has been over five years since I graduated from college, but yes, I did graduate in 2003, and while in some places (like my office) that makes me a youngin', I'm still feeling a bit old. But, it was a supremely nostalgic weekend full of storytelling, laughing, and hitting up all my favorite restaurants in good old Williamsburg. The campus is still as beautiful as I remember it, even during a rainy fall weekend.

One key to a successful first date

2008-10-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

I once wrote a paper about the social psychology of first dates and how our psychological awareness (or lack thereof) of our environment and situation often leads to severely misconstrued ideas about another person. (I'll try to dig up the paper and provide more details - I do believe that I got an A).

But, if I could I would now add something to that paper. According to scientists, writing in the journal Science, holding something warm influences your feelings toward someone you're with. In other words, you're much better off inviting that special someone to enjoy a latte at a coffeehouse than a cup of ice water at a hockey game. For more, see John Tierney's blog post about this topic.

So, to all those guys out there who may think a bar is the best place to take that special someone, do you really want to go up against science?

San Francisco Weighs Decriminalizing Prostitution

2008-10-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

While I shouldn't be surprised about this, I still am. It's hard to believe that people in the city in which I live think this is a good idea.

Read the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-San-Francisco-Prostitution.html

On another political note, how many trees have to die to make sure Proposition H does not pass? Those of you in San Francisco will know what I'm talking about.

Live music social networking

2008-10-15T16:48:00.001-07:00

I came across a really cool social networking site today that revolves around music and live shows. SonicLiving can read your Last.fm, Pandora, or iTunes library and basically cross reference that with a database of all the live shows in your area or any area you specify. It took less than five minutes to sign up and have a list created of all the artists from my music library that are playing in San Francisco over the next month.

I really enjoy going to concerts, but I don't often think about looking up information about where my favorite artists will be. So, I know that I miss tons of good concerts simply because I didn't know about them. This seems to easily solve that problem by creating only one place that I have to go to.

Check it out and become my friend if you join - my username is mniemitz.

Today in the world of Science

2008-09-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's issue of the journal Science contains two highlights for me. The first is the results of the 2008 Science and Engineering Visualization Contest. This contest is co-sponsored by Science Magazine and the National Science Foundation. I have entered this contest three times and was a Finalist one year and a Semi-finalist the next. Alas, my entry this year did not get any awards, but when I look at this year's winners, I can see why. There are some very cool visualizations of fascinating science concepts and I am continually inspired by the way people are able to communicate abstract science concepts in a very visually appealing way.

The second is a discovery of some very old (4.28 billion years!) rocks in northern Quebec. There is some debate as to whether these are just younger sedimentary rocks made up of older material. But, either way it is an interesting picture into our Earth's history and tells us more about the conditions on Earth shortly after it was formed about 4.5 billion years ago. I haven't been able to read the full paper (I don't have a subscription to Science), but there is an article about it in the NY Times (I'm always excited when geology news makes the national papers!). You'll be able to read the abstract of the article on Science's website tomorrow.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Launch Event

2008-09-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

Check out the launch event for Adobe Creative Suite 4. It's the biggest launch in the company's history and this broadcast shows many of the very cool new features in the CS4 products.

Greg Laswell

2008-09-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

My buddy Steve and I went to see Greg Laswell play at Cafe du Nord last night. I have only recently started listening to Greg and while his music is a little sad and depressing at times, it's good stuff and worth a listen.

He mostly played from his new album, Three Flights from Alto Nido, which came out in early July. I hadn't heard any of this album, but have been listening to it today and am really liking what I hear.

I wish he would have been able to play more then a half dozen songs last night, but Joan As Police Woman followed him.

NFL.com Replay Re-Cutter

2008-09-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

Adobe has been working with the NFL to create a Replay Re-Cutter built on our Premiere Express hosted service. The new site debuted this week and it is pretty cool.

Basically, you can easily cut together a custom highlight reel of your favorite team from this week's game or from several games throughout the season. You can choose which highlights you want to include, add pictures, graphics, transitions, and music. This service is built on the Flash platform, which the NFL and NBC are also using to stream Sunday night games on the web and give the viewer the choice of which camera angles to view and basically provide a custom viewing experience for the football fan.

Being a huge fan of the reigning Super Bowl Champion New York Giants, I cut together a quick highlight reel of our Week 2 thrashing of the St. Louis Rams. Check it out!

It's going to be brilliant!

2008-09-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't heard (which is probably most of my readers), Adobe announced their intention to announce (don't ask - we're confused about it too) Creative Suite 4 on September 23rd. This is our flagship software - including favorites like Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, and InDesign.

The main reason that I bring this up is because it has consumed my (and pretty much everyone at Adobe) work life for the last three months. And I just want to spread the word to make sure as many of you check out the products as possible - especially if you're in education. More details on what I've personally been doing in conjunction with the software will come on the 9/23 date.

But, for now, if you're interested in hearing more about CS4 (and trust me - there are a lot of really cool new features), you can sign up to view the webcast of the announcement on 9/23.

How twins are not alike

2008-09-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

While I am constantly reminded of just how different my twin brother Ben and I are, there have been a few particularly poignant moments where this fact has been ultra apparent to me. One such occasion occurred August 14 at 12:08 pm when I received the following text message:

"Hey fam-just wantd u 2 no i shot myself in the quad this mornin w a 2 1/2 inch siding nail gun! i got the nail pulled and i bak @ work & i got some sweet pics!"

Receiving this text message sitting in my office cubicle in the midst of a long day at work had a two pronged effect. First, I let out a laugh that must have caught the attention of those working dutifully around me. And second, I shook my head, for some reason yet again surprised that my brother could accomplish such a feat. (This is not the first, or even the second, time he has injured himself with such dramatic flair.)

Needless to say, I called Ben to get the full story and he recounted in painful detail how he had proceeded to shoot himself with a nail gun. The story of getting the nail removed in the local emergency room is slightly more entertaining. Ben is working for Habitat for Humanity on the gulf coast of Mississippi as a construction supervisor. He leads the teams of volunteers who come to help out and makes sure that homes get built and families reach the next stage of the long recovery process from Katrina. Ben has an uncanny ability to match that dramatic mission with an equally dramatic flair for accomplishing it.

I simply have to provide pictures, but I warn you that they are a little gross. The first is the nail stuck in the Ben's thigh and the second is Ben showing off his "accomplishment" post-nail removal.

Only in the Tenderloin

2008-08-19T21:49:00.000-07:00

The other night I was craving some Indian food and since my neighborhood lacks any Indian restaurants that are reasonably priced and good, I ventured into the Tenderloin to get some take out at Pakwan. They also have a location in the Mission, but the Tenderloin one is slightly closer for me.

Anyway, I got my lamb biryani and naan and drove away. As I was cruising west down Ellis Street, between Hyde and Larkin, all of a sudden I notice out of the side of my eye a man sprinting out into the street seemingly headed right for my car. I didn't quite know what to do. Obviously, I didn't want to hit this man, but it seemed more likely that he would hit me first. So, just as I ease on the brakes, he slams into the side of my car near the trunk and goes tumbling down into the street. I immediately came to a stop only to see (in my rear view mirror) the man running away. At this point I notice a SFPD squad car roll up and two officers jump out. They both stop the man and back him up against a wall on the sidewalk. I'm now thinking "oh no, what if this man is seriously hurt after I hit him with my car." But at the same time, it was hardly my fault - I mean the man came out of nowhere and there was nothing I could do. So, I put my four way flashers on, got out of my car, and started walking towards the policewoman who is surveying the area while her partner puts handcuffs on the man. I asked if the man was ok and claim that there was nothing I could do - that he had come out of nowhere. The officer assures me that they saw everything, that he ran into me, that I have nothing to worry about, it wasn't my fault, and that he is "clearly on something." This was my first run in with the SFPD and the officer was surprisingly nice. Nevertheless, she takes down my name, address, and phone number in case they need to contact me, but again assures me that I have nothing to worry about. As I walked back to the car, I heard the officer ask the man "What are you on?" I can only hope that the man is ok. He obviously has enough problems to worry about other than a painful injury.

But, while I drove away a little relieved, I was also saddened by how bad things are in this neighborhood. It is a scary part of town to drive through, let alone walk through. You can't pass through without witnessing a drug deal or a prostitute. Homeless people are everywhere and the area is so dirty. It breaks my heart to see such brokenness and pain. And I wonder what, if anything, I can do. And while the Tenderloin is the worst area, I read recently that SF has more homeless people per capita than any city in the US. This city needs help in a big way and I am going to be looking for way to do my part to meet some of those needs.

Bungee Jumping in New Zealand

2008-07-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

My friend Galen is traveling in New Zealand right now and posted a video on YouTube (see below) of him bungee jumping off the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown, New Zealand. I wanted to spread the video for Galen because it's a cool video, but it also brings back memories of nearly 6 years ago when I was studying in New Zealand for a semester and jumped off the very same bridge. Proof of this feat is below. For those of my college friends who consistently remind me that in spending a semester abroad I missed "the greatest semester ever," here is yet more proof that maybe they missed out too.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince trailer

2008-07-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

The teaser trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince hit the Internet today. I'm very excited... If you want to view full HD versions, go here.

Adobe Education Leaders

2008-07-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

Last week was the Adobe Education Leaders summer institute. We hosted about 75 educators from all over the United States, plus the UK, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, and Australia. These educators are a mix of K-12 teachers, administrators, technology coordinators, and e-learning specialists. But, they all love Adobe products and work to both spread the word about our products within the education community and help us better understand what the K-12 community needs in terms of educational technology solutions.

The AELs spent three full days hearing our plans for the coming year, learning about new products coming out, getting some professional development on how to use our products, and sharing what they have been doing in their classrooms and school districts. It was really neat to hear how these educators are using our products and it gave us lots of ideas of how to help them better and provided some overarching motivation for me. It's always nice to know that what you're doing is actually helpful to some people.

During the week, we had a bunch of social events, including dinner at Medjool and a night on a dinner cruise around the San Francisco Bay (see the picture above).

Apartment pictures

2008-07-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have yet to share pictures of my new apartment, even though I have now been living there for 3 months. So, here are pictures of the living room, bedroom, and kitchen. There is also a square shaped entryway between these three rooms, three ginormous closets, and of course, a bathroom.

Flight of the Conchords

2008-07-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have already seen the HBO show Flight of the Conchords, which I find to be kind of weird and not terribly funny.

But, my brother showed me the video below on YouTube, which is from a Flight of the Conchords concert. Check it out - it's hilarious!

Vacation and July 4th Fireworks

2008-07-06T16:56:00.001-07:00

I'm not going to apologize for being a silent blogger as of late, since I was on vacation for the last 10 days and while I don't consider blogging to be work, it's nice to disconnect for a while and not feel the pull of the computer.

I traveled back East to Pennsylvania for a week for an annual family reunion at my family's lake house in Northeastern PA, near Scranton. Many of you may only know of Scranton as the setting for The Office and I assure you that, as the show clearly displays, there is very little reason to visit. But, my family's lake house is up in the mountains, about 45 minutes from Scranton, and happens to be one of my favorite places on earth - it always offers deep relaxation and good times.

July 4th at Crystal Lake is always an especially good time, because the whole lake is abuzz with excitement over the holiday - extended families visit, parties are thrown, kids are running around everywhere, and fireworks are set off. For our family, this weekend means gathering parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins for the weekend. We always eat well (perhaps too well), play lots of yard games (bocce, bocce golf, cornhole, croquet, etc), usually get out for a round of golf or two, and enjoy sitting on the dock by the water and just relaxing. This year was a bit different, because we are in the midst of building a new boathouse and dock, so we spent a lot of time watching the construction progress and less time sitting on the dock. But, the new boathouse deck overlooking the water was completed in time for the weekend and we enjoyed taking advantage of it.

The fireworks display on Friday night was pretty amazing. My neighbor Scott and my brother Ben had bought a ton of fireworks in Maryland and South Carolina, respectively. The pictures in this post are all from the fireworks display - it was impressive.

Saturday Hiking in Point Reyes

2008-06-22T21:48:00.000-07:00

Feeling the need to get out of the city for a while and get some much needed exercise, I decided to head up to Point Reyes National Seashore on Saturday for a hike. I decided to do an 8 mile hike from the Palomarin Trailhead to Alamere Falls. I have consistently heard that the coast north of the city is really beautiful.

The falls are actually a series of falls culminating in a 50 foot drop down right onto the beach. The trail to the falls winds along the coast with spectacular views back south towards SF and north towards Point Reyes. There is also an inland section that cuts through some forested areas and goes past several little ponds that look like some good swimming holes.

I sat on the beach for a while, enjoying the scenery, the peace and quiet and the isolation. It's hard to believe that I was only about an hour from one of the biggest cities in the US. I have found that to be one of the best things about SF. It's a big city with lots to offer within, but it is really easy to go a short distance and feel like you've left it completely behind. I felt this same way when I visited Muir Woods a few weeks back.

Driving back south down the 101, you enter this short tunnel and as you exit, you can immediately see the huge red towers of the Golden Gate Bridge and then almost as if by surprise, the entire expanse of San Francisco appears to your felt. It is a breathtaking vista and made me feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful city. With the possible exception of Sydney (which I have had the pleasure of visiting twice), SF is the most naturally beautiful city that I have ever visited.

Geologists are cool and sexy!

2008-06-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Finally the recognition we deserve, even if it is from American Dad. Watch this clip if you don't believe me...

#92, we will miss you!

2008-06-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

While not completely unexpected, I was saddened today by the retirement of Michael Strahan. After 15 seasons in the NFL, all with the Giants, he has amassed the fifth most sacks in NFL history, including the single season record of 22 and 1/2. But more than that, he was the emotional leader of the Giants through good years (especially this past season) and bad years. He goes out on top after leading the Giants to a huge upset victory of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII (I still get excited just thinking about that game!!).

I'm really going to miss that gap toothed smile and the joy of seeing Strahan rush the quarterback, knock the ball loose, or get a monster sack. Luckily, we still have Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck to continue to spread fear in the minds of quarterbacks around the league.

The iPhone 3G is here!

2008-06-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

In his customary jeans and black turtleneck fashion, Steve Jobs announced the new 3G iPhone today. The Worldwide Developers Conferences actually happened mere blocks from my office, but I kept track in a very low tech way by reading constant updates on macrumors.com. I decided not to buy the first iPhone, because I figured it would be buggy, the features just weren't there yet, and I have had Verizon for a long time (not to mention the $500 price). But with today's announcement, Apple has added faster internet speeds, better integration with email and calendar, an open software platform that allows for some great applications, and prices of $199 and $299. So, since my Treo is slowly dying (the keyguard doesn't work and I keep almost sending blank emails from my pocket). Plus, my iPod is so old that I am literally embarrassed on the bus sometimes (especially in techie San Francisco). So, come July when the phone comes out, I think it is time to take the plunge!

An Action Packed Weekend

2008-06-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was so action packed that I am just now recovered enough to blog about it. An old friend of mine, Anne, that I have known basically since birth was in town visiting friends and stayed with me. So we got to explore the city and parts of Northern California over the course of two days. Here was the activity breakdown:

Saturday

9:30 am - Ferry Building Farmers Market - Anne and I explored the Farmers Market and shopped for a picnic on Sunday. We bought some fresh produce (arugula, apricots, cherries, rhubarb, etc), three fancy cheese, and some rosemary meyer lemon bread.

11 am - Cafe Trieste, North Beach - we grabbed a quick latte at one of the most famous cafes in North Beach.

11:30 am - Molinari Delicatessen, North Beach - we picked up some pesto pasta, fresh proscuitto, and salami for the picnic.

2 pm - Muir Woods - we picked up another friend of Anne's and headed up to Marin County to check out the Muir Woods, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. We went on about a 2 hour hike and the redwoods were amazing. We also checked out Muir Beach, which was equally beautiful. We really wanted to grab a late afternoon beer at the Pelican Inn, but it was closed for a wedding that was happening right as we drove by.

5:30 pm - We still wanted that beer, so we headed into Sausalito and grabbed a drink at Horizons Restaurant, right on the water with a beautiful view of the city.

8 pm - B Star Bar - Sister restaurant of the SF icon Burma Superstar, B Star is a shorter wait than it's sibling and real good Burmese/Asian Fusion food. They had this special drink with beer, ginger and lemon juice mixed together that was very refreshing after a packed day.

10:30 pm - We returned home and since I'm getting too old to go out clubbing, Anne and her friend Gillian went out to Ruby Skye where a friend of theirs is a bartender.

Sunday

10:30 am - Sonoma Wine Country - we left San Francisco for a day of wine tasting in Sonoma. We had plans to check out three different vineyards.

12 pm - Ridge Lytton Springs - by far the best wine of the day - Ridge makes mostly Zinfandel, but we tried a Cab/Merlot blend and two Syrahs, both of which are only available at the vineyard. I've had Ridge wines before and love them, so I lobbied for this stop. We were the only ones there, so we got to slowly try the wines and chat with the woman (we never got her name, so we just called her "Kristen" afterwards) who was serving us. She told us all about Ridge and Sonoma in general and suggested a few other vineyards to check out. Best stop of the day, hands down.

1:30 pm - Ferrari- Carano Vineyards - Kristen told us that this winery was fancy and beautiful, which was true, but that the wine was less than stellar. So, we checked out the gardens, illegally ate our picnic lunch in a gazebo amongst roses, and then bolted for better wine.

2:30 pm - Preston Vineyards - Preston is an organic vineyard and farm that sells wine, olive oil, and curiously enough, underwear. The wines were ok - they had a decent Sauvignon Blanc and surprisingly a jug red table wine that was the best of all the reds (it was only $32!).

3:30 pm - Rochioli Vineyards - Our last stop was at a small winery that served only three wines. They were decent, but it became clear that we had been spoiled at Ridge and nothing for the rest of the day would compare. So, we chatted with the lady serving us about restaurants in SF and then sat on the veranda for a while gazing out at the Sonoma Valley before we faced reality and headed back to the city.

5:30 pm - Anne and Gillian napped and recovered from their night out on Saturday while I read the NY Times (see yesterday's post).

8 pm - Pagolac - We ventured to the always risky Tenderloin for some quality Vietnamese food at Pagolac where we met Jeremy, another friend of Anne and Gillian. There was definitely an Asian theme to the food for the weekend and while I am not a huge Asian food fan, Pagolac and B Star both were great and reasonably priced.

9:30 pm - 800 Larkin - another great spot in the Tenderloin. We grabbed some cocktails to close out the night and a great weekend.

Monday

6:30 am - alarm goes off - back to work and back to reality :(

The New York Times - Sunday, June 1

2008-06-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm two days late for this post, but the articles are still available online and still interesting, so here is my recap of Sunday's NY Times.

Sunday, June 1

Put a Little Science in Your Life, by Brian Greene - If you want to engage students with science, present the big picture first, details second. This is a great article about science education and I strongly suggest you read it. I have been thinking along these same lines for a long time.

A Player Destined for the Majors Chose First to Play for Himself, by Katie Thomas - It's always nice to see an athlete put some value on a college education and not take it for granted, especially one as talented as Pedro Alvarez.

Who Has the Horse Tranquilizers?, by Juliet Macur - As the Beijing Olympics approach, it is clear that the steriods issue will lead to big news and big scandals. I just hope it doesn't overshadow what is usually an amazing 2 weeks of sports.

Sunday New York Times - May 25

2008-05-25T22:46:00.000-07:00

Because I find it one of the most enjoyable activities of my week and because I always find a surplus of articles to blog about, I am starting a new routine today. Each Sunday, I plan to post a highlights list from the day's New York Times. I find this paper to be the most interesting collection of articles and features I get my hands on each week and I regularly spend several hours reading it on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Don't strictly hold me to this routine, as there will likely be missed weeks and Monday posts, but do check out these articles if you're at all interested in what fascinates me.

Sunday, May 25th

Exposed, by Emily Gould - Blogging is still so new to us that we don't yet fully understand the dangers and potential hazardous outcomes of exposing ourselves to anyone who cares to take notice. Gould chronicles her learning experiences during a prolific blogging life.

Flipping Out, by Rob Walker - Walker's Consumed column in the Sunday Magazine is consistently one of my favorite columns in the Sunday Times. It's basically a column about consumer habits. This week he examines the powerful role convenience plays in what we collectively desire from consumer products, viewed through the lens of a cheap camcorder.

The Snare of Privelage, by Elisabeth Bumiller - Elitism is frowned upon when we think about our presidential candidates, but why? Don't we want the best and brightest to lead our country?

Global Dreams for a Wireless Web, by John Markoff - Martin Varsavsky is trying to cover the world with wireless internet access by letting users piggyback off other users. But he is encountering some resistance to his big idea.

Resistance is Futile, by Seth Schiesel - The rise of the mastermind behind Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda and the Wii.

Web Site Puts Focus on Fix in Sports Bets, by Joe Drape - As if professional sports needed any more scandals, it seems likely that more contests are fixed than we realize.

Starting Salaries but New York Tastes, by Cara Buckley - How do you survive in New York City on a starting salary?

Note: You'll have to register and login to see these articles, bit 1. it's worth it; and 2. you'll only have to login once - it stores your login info seemingly forever.

Movie Review: Ironman

2008-05-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

On an impulse I went to see Ironman this afternoon. I have been wanting to see it before it left the theaters, so I dropped in the recently reopened Marina Theatre for the 1:15 PM showing.

I know that superhero movies are not for everyone, but I really liked it. I thought it was funny, had pretty good action, and a great story. I was really hooked by the technology and how amazing these gadgets are that Tony Stark (the lead character) created.

I thought that Robert Downey Jr. was perfect for the role of Tony Stark. He has that understated delivery of his lines that make him seem cocky and likable at the same time.

I'm not much of a critic, but I do recommend Ironman, so if you haven't yet seen it, check it out.

New blog additions

2008-05-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

Why blog about restaurants and music in two places, when Yelp and Last.fm will bring them here for me?

Check out the new additions to the blog - Yelp and Last.fm embedded feeds in the right hand panel towards the bottom.

The Yelp feed will show you my recent restaurant reviews and give you easy access to them to see where I'm eating and what I think. This is pretty mandatory for me in San Francisco since I have discovered that a foodie in Boston is a fast-food eater in San Francisco. I need to get up to speed quickly.

The Last.fm feed will show you what music I am listening to. I have a bad habit of getting obsessed with a song or band and playing them constantly until I tire of the music. So, don't be surprised to see that I'm listening to a lot of the same music over and over. Right now, I'm on a Gavin DeGraw kick after his new album dropped about 2 weeks ago.

Archaeology is cool again!

2008-05-21T21:22:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm probably the only person in America blogging about this, and I felt someone needed to turn some attention towards a movie that many people on the East Coast have just sat down to watch as I write this. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opens nationwide at 12:01 AM Thursday morning.

I briefly considered going to the premiere tonight (and tickets were still available on Tuesday morning), but then I remembered that I am 27 years old and have a real job and wanting to vicariously be a dashing, adventurous archaeologist is not a valid excuse for being a waste of space all day tomorrow.

Early reviews (NY Times, Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert) are moderately positive and it is clear that this movie is going to make a boatload of money, especially over this Memorial Day weekend. I won't be seeing the movie until late next week, so I'll do my best to patiently wait until then.

P.S. I'm watching the American Idol finale right now and they just brought some terrible singer back from the auditions and he's singing and all of a sudden the USC song girls and the band march onto the stage. I'd rather they shamelessly promote Fox movies and TV shows than show this total unentertaining randomness. Just give us the results already!

Beer Menus - please come to SF!!

2008-05-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

I discovered a new website unveiled a few weeks ago in New York City. The site catalogs all the beer served in bars and restaurants in NYC and allows the user to find bars that serve their favorite beers or find out what beers certain bars or restaurants serve. So, if you are craving a pint of Allagash White, like I often am, you can discover that it is available in 12 bars in Manhattan, at prices ranging from $5 to $9(!) for a 12 oz bottle or $7 for a pint on draft. There's also a GoogleMap showing the locations of the bars. Curiously enough, Schlitz is only available in two bars - and I though NYC has some class!

The press coverage around this has been funny:

Wired - Finally, a Website for Something that Matters: Finding a Good Beer

CNET News.com - BeerMenus.com, where have you been all my life?

According to the New York Post, the two brothers who started this have gotten plenty of free beers as they have traveled around Manhattan signing up bars and restaurants. I am officially offering my services should these guys want to expand to San Francisco. Please!?!?

The Whale Hunt

2008-05-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Most of you may not know that one of my casual interests is scientific visualization and exploring new ways to display quantitative and complex information. To me this kind of work is a poignant intersection of science and art and I believe that technology gives us some amazing tools to display information in visually appealing and approachable ways to lots of people. I had some great opportunities to do this in my old job and in many ways this interest lead me into the educational technology field.

So, when the 12th Webby Awards were announced last week, I was not at all surprised to see the work of Jonathan Harris recognized yet again. To quote his own bio, Harris's work revolves around "designing systems to explore and explain the human world." (Go here to listen to Harris describe his work.) I guarantee that you will be amazed at the work he has done and my particular favorite has been his Phylotaxis site.

That is, it was my favorite, until today when I explored his Webby Award winning site, The Whale Hunt. A big part of Harris' work has been linking vast quantities of data to a powerful interface for viewing that data. So, rather than pull the data from some outside source, Harris decided to create the data himself by taking thousands of pictures (one every 5 minutes for 7 days) during an expedition to Alaska to join an Eskimo whale hunt. The challenge was to design an interface that told a human story in a deeper way that just viewing the images. So, Harris considered the way we view images and how an interface governs that in order to mimic the experience of living the story. One example (which is astonishingly simple yet simply genius) is to speed up the display of the slide show during periods of the expedition when Harris was experiencing stress or excitement. I encourage you to explore the site. As you do, try to think about how difficult it can be to display complex information and the challenges (and advantages) of doing this online and with technology.

If you're really interested in this topic, check out the work of Edward Tufte, who has written some clever books and essays about displaying quantitative information. His work has applications not only in science, but also in business, education, and art. In particular check out his essay on PowerPoint.

A Saturday night feast

2008-05-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

Check out my recent post on the Gastrofabulous blog (to which I contribute to occasionally). I made a great meal last night.

My first new bed

2008-05-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

You would think that at 27 years of age, I would have bought my first bed long ago. But alas, with my new apartment in SF, this is the first time that I have had the space and the need to buy a brand new queen size bed. I have been suffering for three weeks, sleeping on an air mattress in a sleeping bag. Needless to say, I have been yawning everything day after several bad nights of sleep.

But that all changed yesterday when my bed (ordered from Macy's two weeks ago) finally arrived. I didn't know the least thing about shopping for mattresses, so I spent a lot of time lying on them in the stores. I finally chose a Simmons Beautyrest - maybe you've seen those commercials where they drop a bowling ball on a mattress with bowling pins set up and the pins don't fall over - well that's what I got. And combined with brand new 600 thread count sheets, 2 new pillows and a new mattress pad, last night was a very comfortable and restful night of sleep.

The Omnivore's Dilemma

2008-04-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

I have recently been reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, a journalism professor at Berkeley and a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine. I have found this book extremely interesting and also quite alarming. The book outlines the natural history of three meals that outline three ways that food reaches our table (or lap in our car). The first is the story of industrialized corn, which unbeknown to most American's, is included in most of the foods we eat, albeit in different forms. The second traces pastoral grass as the basis of a food system that eventually leads to "beyond organic" foods. I'm very impressed with Joel Salatin and Polyface Farm, the main subject of this second section of the book - I wish I could get all my food from him. (I'm currently searching for the equivalent in Northern CA.) The third is the most basic - the original hunting and gathering system that predated agriculture. I've only made it halfway through the second story, but I seriously think that this book is going to change the way I eat. I went to Trader Joe's last night and it was the most confusing, scary, and overwhelming shopping experience of my life. God only knows what it will be like to walk into Safeway again. I nearly lost trust in the "organic" food on the shelves and found myself looking closer at labels and being extraordinarily conscious of what I was putting in my basket.

I just hope eating doesn't become this scary experience, because I really love food. Be forewarned, but I do encourage you to read this book. As Pollan says, we really should have some knowledge of where our food is really coming from, rather than just saying "the grocery store".

I hope my dietician sister loves this post.

A busy past week...

2008-04-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

I feel that I have already violated the blogger code of ethics by not keeping my blog at least slightly fresh. It has been about ten days since I last posted, so I'm sorry. My excuse is that I have been crazybusy. I have found an apartment in the Marina district of SF, survived the first 3 weeks of work (my boss has been traveling and I have been immediately responsible for three big projects), got a temporary parking permit, moved all my stuff from a storage container in Oakland into the apartment (thanks to Christina for the help!), got new CA car insurance (surprisingly way more expensive than Boston, by the way), visited the DMV to get a license and registration (kudos to the CA DMV appointment system), got a smog check for my car, bought a new dresser, and finally went to Trader Joes and Safeway (please visit this link - but don't read into my intentions in shopping there) to stock up on food. I've done all of that since Saturday morning. Whew... Next up is buying a mattress (i've been sleeping (if you want to call it that) on an air mattress), finding some more furniture/appliances (coffee table, dining chairs, tv stand, microwave, area rugs), and unpacking.

One additional note about the visit to the DMV - In California you have to pass a written test to transfer a license from another state and I was a bit nervous about this. Surprisingly, I passed with flying colors, only missing 2 out of 36. Apparently, a pedestrian always has the right of way, even if there isn't a crosswalk at an intersection, so I am going to take that as permission to jaywalk as much as possible. A visit to the DMV is always entertaining, but by far the most entertaining part of my visit was a sign posted in front of the lady who grades your test. The sign warned that verbal abuse is punishable by law and may lead to suspension of license. The lady grading the tests must have been 70 years old with completely white hair, had those glasses attached to the chain around her neck, and looked both as nice as can be and that she had been doing this for decades. So, the thought of someone just reaming her out for failing them is abhorrent and deeply comical at the same time.

Despite the fact that I have been running around this city like a crazy man trying to get all this stuff done, my only frustration is that I haven't really had the chance to start my life here. That may sound strange, but I guess what I mean is I have been wanting to start that whole process of meeting people, finding friends, and feeling like I am a part of the city. It was a blessing to be able to go to church on Sunday morning. I had been looking forward to attending City Church of San Francisco, which I have attended twice before. I am fairly confident that this will become my church home, and my visit on Sunday all but confirmed that. It seemed like just the church I am looking for - great pastor with great teaching, a diverse group of people that I think I can relate to, and a solid community group structure. So, I am excited to be able to share more news with you about that church and how I plan to get involved in the coming months.

Hope this post makes up for my week of silence. I promise my next post will come sooner rather than later.

Earthquakes

2008-04-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

When you move to California, you have to expect that you will face the threat of earthquakes. This may sound crazy, but experiencing an earthquake is one of the things that I am most excited about with my move out West. Granted, I don't want anyone to get hurt in the earthquake, but I do want to feel what it is like to have the ground shaking underneath me. As a geologist, this display of earth's unpredictable power is just really cool.

However, this story in today's New York Times is not quite what I am looking for. Luckily, as least for us Northern Californians, the risk seems greater in Southern California. Either way, let's all hope scientists can continue to make strides in being able to better predict where and when powerful earthquakes will occur.

Bubba the Driller

2008-04-13T19:26:00.001-07:00

I'm not generally one to shamelessly promote my own work, but prior to coming out West I was doing independent education consulting work and educational multimedia production. There are two big pieces of work that I just have to mention.

I just finished a big interactive online game for elementary school students that was based on a cartoon character that I had helped to develop back when I was in DC working for JOI. Check out the interactive game and let Bubba give you a tour of the JOIDES Resolution, a scientific ocean drilling vessel. I loved creating this project and getting to flex my creative muscles at the same time as teaching little kids about science. Plus, I enlisted top help for the voice of Bubba - my brother!

More very exciting news about my past contract work - Last summer and fall I worked with a teacher from Colorado to create a website and poster that documented an oceanographic expedition to the Indian Ocean. Rory Wilson, a middle school science teacher, participated in the Sea90E expedition and had an interactive website to connect with students all over the world while he was out at sea for 2 months. After he returned, we created an educational poster to highlight the scientific discoveries of the expedition, complete with classroom activities on the back.

Here's the super cool part - the Sea90E website and poster have been nominated as a finalist for the Association of Educational Publishers Distinguished Achievement Awards in the Science Teaching Resources - Posters category. I'm told that just being a finalist is a big deal, and it seem like it is considering most of the other finalists are the huge textbook companies and other organizations that do these types of things all the time. There is an academy awards style banquet in June in DC where they present the awards. I probably won't be able to go, but it sure will be exciting if we win.

Check out these two educational resources and let me know what you think...

Yankees vs. Red Sox

2008-04-13T09:04:00.001-07:00

I wish I had been around Boston over the last few days to participate in conversations with Red Sox fans about this story. This is classic Yankees/Red Sox rivalry material and very humorous.

Check it out.

An update on this story from today's New York Times. Ouch for Boston fans...

A SF Protestacular!

2008-04-10T21:08:00.002-07:00

This post is about a day late, but I got a taste of my first protest in a city that is famous for them. The Olympic torch made a highly contested stop in San Francisco on it's way to Beijing for the Summer Olympics in August. You have to live under a rock not to have heard something about the craziness that ensued yesterday, but basically there were thousands of people supporting Tibetan freedom and denouncing the Chinese government. Of course the SFPD saw this coming and had a contingency plan where the torch disappeared for about 30 minutes and reappeared on Van Ness and headed over the Golden Gate bridge.

Two of my coworkers were eating lunch with a customer at a fancy restaurant downtown right around the time the protesters found out where the torch had reappeared. So, as they sipped lattes in opulence, hundreds of people rushed by the restaurant windows hell bent on catching the torch.

Meanwhile myself and several other coworkers went out to lunch and as we were walking to the restaurant, several police cars and a bomb squad truck go racing past us headed in the direction of the torch relay.

All in a Wednesday's work in San Francisco!

Days 1 and 2

2008-04-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first day of work at my new job at Adobe. It was overwhelming to say the least, but very exciting at the same time. Today was much better and I expect tomorrow to be even better. I'm looking forward to the day when I am fully familiar with all the stuff that is going on in my business group and the intricate ways that Adobe works.

I want to attempt to help you all understand what it is exactly that I do as the new Curriculum Manager within the Education Solutions/Marketing group. Basically, Adobe has all these amazing software titles - there are products that many of you are probably familiar with (Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and Flash) and newer products that maybe you've never heard of (like Flex and Acrobat Connect). All of these have uses in the education sector - whether it is traditional creative professional education programs or educators wanting to expand their use of eLearning solutions or computer science students who are learning the latest in rich internet application development. My job is to produce the curriculum that shows educators how they can use our software in traditional classroom curriculum or how to technically use our software titles. I'm also going to be working on marketing the curriculum to help educators become more aware of what we have to offer as well as helping to get some professional development programs started.

I hope this helps you understand a little better what I'll be doing and if not, sorry - it's only my second day and remember it's still a lot easier to understand than all that sciency stuff I did in DC.

The Great San Francisco Apartment Hunt

2008-04-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

One of the first orders of business upon arrival here in SF has been to find an apartment. Right now I'm staying in an extended stay hotel, which is nice for now, but not exactly a long term kind of place. So, I'm looking for an apartment to move into as soon as possible. From what I have heard, finding an apartment here is not super easy and take a lot of initiative, patience, and a bit of aggression.

I spent the afternoon getting shuttled around by Milton, a relocation agent, who had found about 8 places for me to look at. Milton has lived in SF for 20 years (he's also originally from the VA Beach area!), and has been helping new renters for 15. So, he had loads of info for me as I started this search with quite an overwhelming feeling. We were able to look at about 8 places over 4 hours. There were a few duds - two places we went to didn't have anyone showing the apartment, so we weren't even able to see them. This was probably because they had already been taken. If I learned one thing today, it is that you have to act fast and be prepared.

Anyway, in the end, there were 5 apartments that I have applied for and that I think I would be happy living in. Here they are, listed in order of preference:

2590 Sacramento St.

This one had close to 20 people at the open house, so the competition is stiff. Milton thinks I have a good shot.

2754 Pierce St.

The Pierce St. neighborhood is amazing and the apartment has a sweet layout. Definitely a great place, just a little more expensive.

2528 Washington St. #4

Nice apartment with some great bay windows and again a great location.

2528 Washington St. #2

Same building as above, just smaller and with the kitchen and living room combined.

2300 Webster St.

Huge apartment on top floor with amazing views (including the Golden Gate bridge!) and enormous closets, but pricey.

Check them out and let me know which one you think I should take. Of course, they have to actually offer me the apartment first, but hopefully I'll get my pick.

I'll keep you posted on the search...

I've arrived...

2008-04-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

After 3,300 miles, 145 gallons of gas, 50 hours of driving, 14 states, and way too many double Whoppers, I have arrived in San Francisco!

Since today represents the start of what promises to be a life changing event, I figured there was no better way to kick off the next phase of my life than to open it up to anyone who might be interested. Thus, welcome to my first ever blog, The View from the Other Side. I've wanted to start a blog for the longest time and if not now, then when? The blog title represents my desire to share new perspectives and views of my life as a new resident of the West Coast. To be sure, there will be lots of other random thoughts, restaurant reviews, music suggestions, travel ideas, photos, and much more.

Thanks for stopping by! Please come again!