A Wii for me! Merry Christmas!

A year long quest finally came to an end this past weekend. I finally got a Wii. In actuality it wasn’t truly a year long quest for it. More like “I would consider buying it if I saw one available”. However that perspective changed when I had the opportunity to demo one at the San Francisco shopping mall on Saturday. (And my perspective changed to “I want one now”) (The power of marketing)

I always knew, of the 3 next generation gaming systems, the Wii is the one I wanted to get. I’m a Nintendo loyalist. I love the Mario franchise and the entertainment value that comes with it. I appreciate the Xbox 360 and the power of the PS3, but not enough to fork over the dough. The Wii is a different story.

1)The physical interaction with the game is revolutionary. Tennis feels like tennis, baseball feels like baseball, and boxing feels like boxing, you get the idea.

2)You can start to enjoy the basic games immediately, without a huge learning curve. The universal appeal for fun is extraordinary.

3)It’s the new boardgame for 30 somethings.

4)The Mario franchise is familiar, and it’s like hanging out with an old friend.

It’s funny how I reverted back to those childhood feelings of wanting to rip open the box right away and start playing. It brought me back to that excited feeling when I received my first Atari 2600 system. I can still remember my parents bringing it out from behind the couch, and the anticipation that rushed through my system to play.

A new feeling I had, was exaggerated paranoia. After hearing in the news of people getting robbed at gunpoint for their PS3’s, thoughts ran through my head of “I hope nobody steals my precious?”. How I got the Wii is whole story in itself. It was definitely luck, a little bit of intention, and a belief in peoples hearsay on how to get one. But with this year being the 2nd Christmas where it’s been difficult to get, I think my paranoia was justified.

What I am looking forward to the most is playing with my friends, cousins, nephews and nieces, brother in laws, and all my other relatives. Im sure it will be lots of fun.

Go Go Speed Racer!

Last Thursday, I organized a go-karting activity for work. It was rip roaring fun. I had gone once before for my bachelor party in LA and loved it. Speed is always a good thing. The thing with go-karts is that you feel safe, and not too much can happen in regards to bodily harm. Unlike mountain biking, driving in real life, skiing or some other speed related sports. I didn't realize how physical driving can be, but I am 100% convinced race car drivers are some of the most conditioned athletes out there. Like traditional sports like basketball, tennis, hockey, there is both a strong mental component and physical component.

I think everyone had lots of fun. We had the opportunity to do a practice run to get a feel for the track. The fun part is when you have to strategize on how to get past other drivers. It's such a game, but very enjoyable.

Then we have a 5 min qualifying time to determine starting positions for the official race. I like this format, as it gives the fastest drivers the opportunity to race a little before they start lapping the rest of the pack. BUt there is nothing like the thrill of passing others, especially on turns when you can cut them off. I know unsportsmanlike, but oh so fun.

After the 5 minute qualifying time, the race is on. 15 minutes of pure go-kart speed. It is a fantastic feeling. It's quite a rush and its almost like a drug. You want to go faster and faster, you want more and more. But the curve of the track requires you to have technique and skill. Thats another component I love about it. It takes some adaptability and cunning. Maybe a few dirty tactics here and there. But if you dish it out, you should also be ready to receive it as well.

I love go-karting and I am glad that everyone enjoyed it. I definitely would love to do it again.

Oh Christmas Tree... Oh Christmas Tree

Every year, my wife "encourages" me to get a Christmas tree. But every year, it doesn't happen for one reason or another. Last year was kind of close if you count going out and buying some ornaments. It was a small first step.

But this year it finally happened. And my wife is excited. Except, she is not so much into the go out and choose the cutest christmas tree, or even the decorating. She just likes to have a christmas tree in the apartment. Actually, to address the decorating part, I think my wife would enjoy the decorating piece, except I "sometimes" tend to have ideas on how things should be. And when you have a husband who's telling you on one hand to go ahead and decorate, but then on the other hand he tells you "oh but not there" it can't be too fun. Sorry my dear.

But in the end we worked through "my differences" and I think we have a beautiful, pine scent Christmas tree. So here were my observations about the whole experience...

Selection of the tree

1) I wanted a Douglas Fir. I was really surprised that the majority of people were buying the Noble Fir's. But Douglas Fir's are the tree I grew up with, and there is nothing better than its strong pine scent.

2) My wife wanted a smaller one, so we choose one that is just under 6'.

3) Amazingly, our selection of the tree was very easy. We found one that has a great shape and is very fresh.

4) Our only mistake was selecting one that didn't have enough trunk at the bottom (6" - 8" inches would have been good for a perfect fit in the stand). We could of had it trimed but there were too many branches close together and we were worried it may be thinned out too much.

Transporting the tree


1) We brought the Subaru and decided to stick it inside. I didn't want to scratch up the top of the car and there was really no one to help us tie it down. You really don't go to home depot for the customer service. You go there for the price. So we got a great deal on our Christmas Tree, but it was definitely a do-it-yourself experience the whole way.

2) I would consider going to a tree lot, and paying a little more for some expert advice and some help next time. I think I'll do that next year.

3) We layed down blankets inside, to catch all the loose pine needles, and it worked out perfectly. Now all we have to do is take out the blankets.

4) The tree fit perfectly inside. It was definitely the perfect size.


Decorating the tree

1) I had selected ornaments last year, but never used them. So it was a great feeling to finally be able to use them. As an amateur Christmas ornament shopper, I didn't realize that they didn't have any ribbon to hang them. Fortunately we had lots of ribbon laying around.

2) After much "discussion" we finally agreed that we would use our left over wedding ribbon. We had bought lots of beautiful ribbon for our wedding projects that we never used. It was a great symbolic tie linking our wedding to a wonderful Christmas tradition, the decorating of the christmas tree. I'm glad that it worked out that way.

3) I only had one mishap when putting on the lights. Our stand is a little mickey mouse. Home Depot ran out of Christmas tree stands (can you believe that?) and so we had to pick one up at Target (I'm convinced Target is really the answer for lots of lifes problems). Although it does the job, it is not the most stable stand in the world. So as I was adjusting the lights in the back, I accidently knocked it over and allowed most of the water to spill out. OOps. But it wasn't too bad.

4) We decorated while we watched ABC's "For One More Day". I think it turned out really nice. And we finally got our Christmas Tree.

This was really the first Christmas tree my wife and I got for ourselves. Despite all the hassles of picking one up, and decorating it, it is totally worth it to bring the Christmas spirit into the house.

All I Want For Christmas...

We need to dream big. And we need to work big to make those dreams come true. But I guess big is relative. Maybe this can be just a start? $100,000 for 2 for a private jet tour around the world, not too bad huh?

http://www.rcrusoe.com/pj_around_the_world/RCrusoePJATW2008-2009.pdf

Christmas Ornament Party in the Marina

Sunday evening we went to a Christmas ornament party at my wifes friend place. (I swear I'm turning into a girl) But I can't complain, since we all have the freedom to choose what we want to do(except for those that are married) Actually it was quite fun. Creativity was cultivated in me since grade school. I have to attribute it to one of my most influential teachers, Mrs. Whitcomb. I am eternally grateful that she bestowed that creative curiosity in me.

In any case, my wife's friend taught us how to make Christmas ornaments using regular 1" ribbon (9ft spools), styrofoam oval balls, and a bunch of pins. The ornaments turn out like little pine cones. Very easy to make, but they can take a while to get right. It was an enjoyable evening with my wifes coworkers. My wifes friend is a creative powerhouse. She went to the baking and pastry school in the Napa Valley region (where she learned to bake with the finest freshest ingredients. A testament to this is the concentration of first class restaurants in the area). She also worked in Australia as a tv reporter.(What does that have to do with creativity, nothing really, but I just wanted to mention that) Her creative talent was shown to us in pictures of her cake work, creative pumpkin carvings during haloween, her unique knitting projects, and her Christmas ornament making skills. Between her, my wife, my sisters, and my cousin, they have enough talent to direct a Fergie or Gwen video.(couldn't think of anything else)

But not only did we make ornaments, but we had a fabulous dinner. We brought over our pannini press and they had made mozzarella, tomato, basil, and prosciutto sandwiches. Made my mouth whater. With sides of manchego and brie cheese, and a tomato vinaigrette salad (picked up the cherry tomatoes at a farmers market), it was a refreshing and flavorful meal. My wife also made a delicious pumpkin chocolate cake for dessert. It hit the spot. My wifes friend also put together one of the most unique sandwiches I have ever had. It was a brie, chocolate chip, and basil sandwich. The licorice flavor of the basil, alongside the always delicious chocolate chips made for a very interesting sandwich. I would definitely do it again.

Later that evening the other boyfriends/husbands returned from watching a movie.(But I showed them who had real "balls", proudly showing them my Christmas ornament) We talked politics and cars, to help me regain back some masculinity. But in all honesty, it was a great evening. Our hosts were so gracious, the company interesting and nice, and we learned something new. Christmas spirit is definitely in the air, and Im loving it.

Gary Danko - A San Francisco culinary experience

This past Friday my wife brought me to one of the swankiest restaurants I've ever dined at. Gary Danko (http://www.garydanko.com) Being the planner that she is, she had made the reservations at least 2 months before. Was the wait worth it...Absolutely. Waiting 2 months for a reservation can go either way 1) Anticipation for it builds up so much that ultimately it becomes a disappointment or 2) Anticipation builds up so much that once youre there, you just enjoy the ride with all the unexpected twists and turns along the way.

Last Friday was definitely a surprise and a very enjoyable experience. Where to begin...

1) We decided to valet, since we never valet, it was really cold that evening, and we wanted the full "fine-dining" experience. It was so nice not to have to drive around for parking, not stress about being late, and not have to walk from a billion miles away.

2) Since we arrived about 20 min early and there were no seats at the bar, we were directed to stand with some other patrons(who were dressed to the nines, men in suits and ties and ladies in evening attire). But the coolest part was when a waitress asked us if we wanted anything to drink, and simply took our names to put the lemonade drink that I ordered on our bill. Small little thing, but I thought that was totally excellent. Gary Denko has "hands down" the most prolific wine menu I have ever seen. But my wife and I had a dry evening. Supposedly they have one of the most amazing wine pairing dining experiences in San Francisco. Perhaps next time.

3) We were then directed to our table right on time. The one thing that threw me off initially were the number of different waiters serving our table. One brought us the menu, another gave us an introduction to the restaurant, another brought us our drinks. It can happen. But what was completely different about this experience was how well coordinated their communications were. As an example, when we had asked for tea at the end of our dinner, one waiter brought us the menu, while a different waiter came back and asked us if we had selected our tea. This menu had other drinks in there as well, but it was just another example of how well the wait staff was coordinated. It was like the precise well coordinated movements of a swiss watch.

4) My wife and I decided to do another atypical thing and order bottled still water instead of tap. Ok they were $7.50 for a tall bottle. But I am a huge fan of mineral water and can "absolutely" tell a difference in taste. (Not that I can't drink regular tap water) But the greatest thing about ordering still mineral water, was how it brought back memories of our honey moon in Europe. So that $7.50 x2 was completely worth it.

5) Youre probably getting tired by now, so what about the food. I decided to go with the 5 course option and my wife the 4 course option. Basically you can choose whatever you like (2 appetizers, 2 seafoods, 2 deserts, pretty much any combination) But we both decided to do the standard selections (appetizer, seafood, meat and game, and dessert) For my 5th course I selected the cheese course. This actually turned out to be the highlight of the evening. (more on that next) But all our selections were fabulous, which included a lobster salad, lobster risotto, seabass with crisped skin, another lobster dish, lamb, duck, and 2 souffles. All relatively large portions, but in our typical fashion we finished every bite.

6) Each dish that evening was a highlight in itself (I felt like I was a tasting judge on iron chef), the highlight for me was the cheese course. And I say course, because the presentation and selection completely warranted it. They bring out a marble topped cart with about 25 different selections. Categorized by sheep, goat, and cow. After providing brief yet understandable descriptions of each of the cheeses, we were allowed a selection of four. Being a fan of strong, hard cheeses I chose one sheep and one goat cheese immediately. I then selected one of the most expensive cheeses, for the sake of an expensive cheese. Plus my wife prefers soft cheeses. The final selection was tough, but we ultimately went with a blue cheese. I apologize for being so generic, but there was no way I could remember any of the names. They served the four selections with thin slices of crisp bread and some grapes. Grapes never tasted sooo good. Cheese, bread, and grapes. A fantastic combination that releases all the flavors on your tongue. A definite can't miss.

7) For dessert we ordered two souffles. My wifes a chocolate souffle with both a creme anglaise and a chocolate sauce. Perfection. I love creme anglaise and chocolate, but Ive never had both at the same time. Mine was also good, but a little too fruity for me with a blackberry sorbet dropped right in the middle with a creme anglaise sauce.

8) Finally after a second bottle of our "expensive" $7.50 water, we ordered a camomille jasmine tea. Warm and perfect to top off the evening.

9) After about a 2 hour service they brought us the check and delivered their signature muffin to my wife. They have a tradition of giving the women at the table a muffin to take home with them for breakfast the next morning. This time it was a pumpkin cheesecake muffin, beautifully wrapped and gently handed to my wife. My wife brought it into work the next day to share a little Gary Danko with her co-workers.

10) At the end of the evening they try to time to have your car ready at the front door when you depart. Unfortunately there was a mix up with our car and we had to wait a few minutes. Allright by us, since we just continued to enjoy the elegance and christmas decorations of the restaurant.

We're not ones to regularly experience fine-dining, but this was a memorable and fun experience. On special occassions it's a nice treat to try something different and expand your experiences.

New extreme sport...Hitch installation

When I came home last night, I was like a kid on Christmas eve! My new 2" hitch for our Subaru Outback arrived right on schedule. I was sooo excited! This was an item I have been contemplating for a long time. Talk about going back and forth.

Things are never easy with me. My sister has always attested to that. My new dilemma. 1) Install it myself, or 2) Seek the skills of professionals.

Since I had ordered the hitch I had been researching on how easy it is to install. Lots of pictures, reviews, and advice on how to install it on the Subaru Outback forums. I can do this I said to myself. Plus if I install it myself tonight, I save money, I know exactly what was done to my car, and I can use it to mountain bike on Saturday. Perfect. All I need to do is go to the hardware store to pick up $28 in tools(about 1/3 the cost of having it professionally installed, but at least I would have these specialized tools for some other project down the road, yeah right)

So I said my farewells to my wife for an anticipated hour (based on online estimates that it should only take 30 min, yeah right I should know better) I was so excited that I didn't even eat dinner. All I wanted to do was get started right away.

So I got my gear together, lamp, cardboard floor, wrenches, screwdrivers, grease and all the hitch accessories.

Two hours later, my hitch was installed. And here were the lessons learned...

1) I anticipated keeping myself rather free from dirt and grime, with rubber gloves and a cardboard floor. What I didn't anticipate that once I started running into trouble removing bolts and rubber fasteners with grease, frustration turned into I don't care anymore, I just want to get this dang bolt off. Leaving me with a greased thumb from my rubber gloves breaking. (Hahaha, I didn't even notice)

2) There is no substitute for experience. This job took me twice as long as it should have. But I now know first hand the exact procedures you "should" take. There was all kinds of advice about not removing the muffler and navigating your hitch through the spaces. But after several attempts at this futile effort, I decided it would be much easier to remove the muffler. Then things started moving smoothly from there.

3) A torque wrench though rather expensive would have been a very handy tool to have. Not only for vehicle repairs but also for bike repairs. But I couldn't justify the $89 for it. A nice to have.

4) Tweaking some core muscle trying to unscrew a tightened bolt underneath a car is not very fun. Last night I really couldn't sleep because of the random shooting pain from my strained muscle. Although it is quite satisfying to know that my hitch is ready to serve. Unfortunately it has put the kibosh on my Saturday mountain biking plans. Oh well, sucks to be broken.

5) You can oftentimes read all you want about doing something, but until you do it, its never exactly the same as you anticipated.

Although Im a little worried about what else I tweaked down there in my "professional" installation job, Im pretty satisfied with my effort. Its a small accomplishment and sometimes it's not always about the cost. It's more about the experience. Im sure once I heal from my injuries, I'll feel more glad that I did it.

Now that my Expedition has moved on...a new dilemma

The problem: Now that I sold my Expedition, I no longer have a way to transport my mountain bike. Sure I could throw it in the back of either the Outback or the Prius. But get my seats all greasy and muddy? Not for me. I wanted an elegant solution.

I went to our local car accessory outfitter(Rack n Road http://www.racknroad.com) and drooled at all the gear. Thule, Yakima, BVG, all present. I love this shop since car accessories for transporting gear is all they do. After my experience last night, I appreciate professionals.(More on that in my next blog)


The possible solutions:

1) Outfit the top of the Subaru with some thule or yakima load bars and get a couple of bike carriers.

Pros:
- Can reuse the bars for carrying my kayak
- Both the bars and bike carriers are very cool looking

Cons:
- ~$200 for the bars
- ~$300 for 2 bike carriers
- Easy to forget you have bikes on top.
- Won't fit into the garage entrance
- Would be able to only carry 2 bikes

2) Get a factory 1 1/4" hitch and a new Thule Ridgeline bike rack

Pros:
- Factory 1 1/4" hitch is super clean and made for the Outback
- Would have the latest and greatest Thule bike rack with all the features (built in security, stability, fold down options)
- Could drive into our garage without worrying that they are there
- New Thule Ridgeline hitch can carry 4 bikes on 1 1/4" or 2" hitch
- Would not loose as much ground clearance as 2" hitch

Cons:
- $250 for factory hitch ($175 for a non factory hitch)
- $300 for new Thule Ridgeline bike rack
- Not as many accessories for 1 1/4" hitch vs. 2" hitch

3) Get a non factory 2" hitch and keep my original bike rack

Pros:
- New 2" hitch costs $150 total!
- Im able to use my original Bauer bike rack which I love.
- Able to carry 4 bikes.
- Could drive into garage without worrying about bikes

Cons:
- Non Factory hitch not as elegant.
- I loose a couple of inches in ground clearance
- Have to install myself(Ill get more into this later)
- Won't have the latest nice to have features of the Thule bike rack.

See my next entry for more on the economically driven decision...

The Joy of Spin Classes

Last night I forced myself to go to the gym and attend my Spin class. It turned out to be an awesome class. I was still feeling a little sore from a run on Sunday, but I figured once I warmed up, my legs would be fine. It turned out I was right and the workout was a blast. The instructor (Kevin) on Tuesday nights is great. He definitely comes from a cycling background and I think he may even be a mountain biker which is even more excellent. His program consists of a lot of hills, some interval training where you speed up and slow down, and jumps where you alternate between sitting and standing. His tempo is well timed and goes perfect with the music. The best part of the whole routine is a long hill climb to a Gwen Stefani song. Sweating, climbing, Gwen. You can't get more perfect than that. After the workout, I decided that my after workout routine would be a little different from my Sunday run to avoid getting sore again...

1) I drank more water to ensure that I didn't get dehydrated. During a run, I usually don't drink water, so it's really important to drink a bunch afterwards.

2) I ate a banana. They say after a strenuous anaerobic workout you should get some food in you within 30 minutes. I try to do this as best as I can. Plus food never tastes soo good as after a strenous workout.

3) I made sure to do some solid stretching to lengthen my thigh muscles and faciliate the release of toxins(e.g. lactic acid). I did a bunch of thigh, calf, arm, shoulder, neck stretches after the workout. It's one of my favorite times because it is just soo relaxing.

After every spin class I like to jump on the scales after I lost a bunch of water and haven't eaten yet. Its good for my psyche. Although I haven't lost a ton of weight, I am definitely seeing the lost of a few pounds. But the biggest indicator is how my dress pants are becoming noticeably looser. My regular cookie and dessert diet Im sure aren't helping, but I definitely feel healthier and I am enjoying my workouts. Toughest part is just planning and getting myself to the gym.

To top off the evening my wife prepared a very healthy dinner of salmon and asparagus that she threw in the oven. Although I had some rice, bread, and soup with it, I think overall it was rather healthy. Living a more healthly lifestyle is attainable. And I think baby steps like this are a great start.

I Heart Crissy Field

(pics courtesy of Jeorge Jordan)

When a guest comes from out of town there are 2 places that we always make sure to visit. The Westfield shopping center(aka Borders Book Store) and Crissy Field. No matter how many times I go back to this place it is always a wonder. The backdrop of the golden gate bridge and the marin headlands, the cute dogs running and playing along the beach, the San Francisco athletes running, biking, kayaking. Its an inspirational place with lots of energy.

This weekend my wife had a cousin who just arrived from the Philippines. So we decided to do our regular city stops. Our first stop turned out to be Union Street, which is close to my wifes work in the Marina. A new cupcake place recently opened and we wanted to scope out the competition. It turns out it doesn't taste like its going to be much competition. I know we are extremely biased, but there were a number of factors that weren't in their favor. Although their location is nice, the cupcakes have cute names, and the cupcakes a tad bit more affordable ($2.75 vs. $3.00), the taste and freshness weren't there. Their vanilla, red velvet, and banana were a little dry and not as flavorful. Their only redemption was a decent seasonal pumpkin cupcake. It may be because they don't bake the cupcakes onsite, but deliver them from another location.

We then proceeded to the Westfield shopping center for a tasty lunch at Out The Door. It was delicious. Although we did order one too many noodle dishes, the food was fabulous. And after that it was off to Borders. My trips to Borders are very random. I will go from picking up a Tatoo magazine, to reading about Richard Branson, to reading about tai chi running, to reading Dwell magazine. I think its a form of ADD. But I think thats what I love, reading about random things.

The rest of the weekend was quite relaxing. We had hit the malls on Black Friday, bringing our dog to Palo Alto. Once again he was a celebrity, attracting attention like no other. But he really doesn't care. He is totally in his own world. But he does love to get out though.

Four day weekends are great. Lots to do in downtown SF. To top off the weekend I was finally able to get outside for a quick run. And to top it off we had our favorite Japanese food for dinner. What a perfect way to end the weekend.

A Time for Thanks

(pics courtesy of Jeorge Jordan)

So this past weekend was a great break from the monotony of work to the monotony of a weekend. Ok it wasn't a monotonous weekend. But I didn't do much to change the world. I think Im looking for purpose. On a lighter note, here's a highlight of our Thanksgiving feast...

Went on a quest to find the perfect table for our Thanksgiving feast. I was intent on having a sit down dinner.(Although I did find myself not sitting down as much running between the kitchen and the dining area - aka our living room) We did consider the traditional "people all over the place" style party. You know the ones where you have friends and family wherever they can find a space (on the piano, in the bedroom, on the coffee table, on the little side table with the lamp) And those are prime real estate. Then the process goes like this a) get your paper plate and utensils b)select your food from the dining table c) wait in line for the microwave d) try to find a place where you can set down your food e) go back for a drink because you only have 2 hands f) come back to find that one of your eggrolls were stolen. g) go back to the dining table to get another one to find out they are all gone. I love those parties. But we were only going to have 8 people so I thought it would be manageable to have a place for everyone.

Thanksgiving dinner was incredible. Courtesy of my wife. Our frozen turkey turned out wonderful, crisp skin, moist, and tender. The gravy was out of this world, the roasted vegetables delish, the salmon warm out of the oven, and bread rolls that melted in your mouth. Ok, Im very biased towards my wifes cooking, but it was really excellent. As a consultant, I am always thinking about lessons learned. As one of our really first hosted parties, here are a few lessons learned... (Please excuse me if these are obvious for you party professionals)

1) Have food available right away for new arrivals to snack on. We had the traditional cheese and crackers and fruit.
2) Too many drink choices can throw people off. I thought I had the perfect selection (Orange juice, apple cider, red wine, beer, coke, diet coke, sprite, pomegranite juice, and water) Isn't that an awesome selection. What more could a person want. Maybe gatorade would have been cool or a sparkling lemonade. Maybe next time.
3) People are afraid to eat things that look too pretty. Our fruit presentation was untouched. Im sure people would have liked to eat the fruits, but I think it looked too pretty. Might have been better to put the grapes in a regular bowl.
4) No need to buy extra pancit when you have turkey, ham, salmon, soup, and roasted vegetables. Whod of thought.

Our Thanksgiving dinner was a lot of fun, and I think everyone enjoyed the food and the company. I know my wife and I enjoyed it. It was definitely lots of pre-planning but I think it would be fun to do it again.

Stage Husband?

My wife oftentimes calls me a stage husband. So what is a stage husband? I believe its something equivalent to a Stage mom who actively pushes their child into the spotlight. So what do I do to deserve such a title. Oftentimes I come up with ideas for her baking, e.g. a cake of a mountain with a rock climbing cake topper, or a kokeshi doll cake, or something random like that. I also like to promote fun things that are going on at the cupcake shop she works at. The owner has been featured on 2 local television shows, USA Today(my wife has a little picture in there), and a little blurb in San Francisco magazine. So Im really proud of my wife for being part of such a creative and successful business. I don't know about being a "stage" husband though.

So this past weekend we had an incredible time hanging out with some cousins from LA. It was a very casual weekend with nothing really to do except for what we wanted. On Saturday we visited the Ferry Building in downtown SF, bought some fresh vegetables at the farmers market, had a nice japanese lunch, went shopping in Union Square, of course visited Borders Bookstore(no weekend is considered complete without this), had a hot chocolate in Union Square, and topped it off with a wonderful Sushi dinner.(I know, but we love Japanese food) It was fabulous.

But going back to my stage husband roots, to top off the Saturday evening, my wife and my cousin began a project to build a little tote bag. In a couple of hours they were able to design a tote, cut the fabric and sew together a little purse. My wife and my cousin are creative power houses. While the husband and myself relaxed at the apt, these two kept totally busy cutting and sewing (I was "sew" happy to see the high tech sewing machine we bought from my sister being used.) They ultimately created a cool little tote with an inner lining and a pocket for a cell phone. Pretty impressive.

In any case it was an awesome weekend. Shopping, sewing and cooking. Hmmmm, there's definitely something wrong with that. I mean it was a weekend filled with hiking, mountain biking, cigars, poker, and other more manly things like that. I'll have to do something about this.

What 45mpg Means To Me

When I heard 45mpg for a Prius, I thought great. Better than the 18mpg on my Expedition. (Ok, it's more than twice the efficiency)

When I heard the Prius engine shuts down when the electric motor has enough power to move the car at slow speeds. I thought great how much gas can that actually save.

When Priuses first came out I thought, yeah, yeah, yeah, greeen, hybrid, environment, hollywood, tree huggers, san francisco, unproven technology, youre not really saving money until 3 years into it.

However it's all about perspective. Expedition vs. Prius = lots of savings $$$.

So here is what 45mpg means to me...

1) Having to pay only $32 for a full tank vs. $75(only because the pumps automatically stop at $75)

2) Having the ability to drive more than 450 miles on one tank of gas.

3) Appreciating using 87 octane vs. 91 octane. (our Subaru recommends 91 and I used to use 91 in my Expedition)

4) Having a wife who now likes the consumption display because she feels challenged trying to keep the electric motor engaged vs. the gas engine.

If youre tired of hearing about the Prius, I humbly apologize. I'm becoming my father's son in that I am turning into Toyota's #2 fan (tough to beat my dad as the #1 fan), and me and our Prius are becoming BFF's.

Now All I See Are Priuses

Funny when you get a new car, you start to notice everyone else who has the same car. It has to be some mother nature survival human nature thing. I wonder if it works the same way if you buy a Ferrari?

As far as birthday weekends go, this will go down in history. I'm so happy that my parents were able to visit me on my birthday. It was so great. I loved hanging out at Barnes and Nobles with them(Twice in the same day!). We did all our typical things. Chinese food, Japanese food, Thai food. Might as well have been in LA. But thats what made it so great. It was so normal. I thought it was perfect. But we also did some not so typical things. We brought them to a new restaurant my wife and I recently found in Half Moon Bay. Half Moon Bay means a lot to us. We got engaged there, brought friends and family there. It is a very special place, not to mention a very cool coastal town. Sam's Chowder House serves up a killer Maine lobster sandwich on a brioche roll. Although I'm more of a crab person which they have to. But we had a fabulous Sunday brunch.

The other not so normal thing we did was visit the Dublin Toyota dealer. And we did it. I am a reformed SUV owner. Time to repay my debt to mother earth. We got our 2008 Toyota Prius. Who'd of thought. Not me. But somehow fate, mother nature, and those damn Toyota engineers conspired to make the perfect storm. They made me an offer I couldn't refuse. 45mpg, Bluetooth, push button start, backup camera. These are features typically in luxury vehicles, not regular sedans. I was very impressed. You must be asking yourself how did the wife ever agree to a not so basic car? Answer - voodoo. I put a voodoo curse on her during financial negotiations with our not so capable sales person. Actually my wife is really enjoying the modern conveniences. Shes even grown to liking the power output display which lets you know if you are on engine power or battery power. We love it.

So a very memorable weekend indeed. Its exciting to be part of this green revolution. We are truly green now that we have 2 green cars. Which by the way is the least popular color according to Dupont favorite car color surveys. Who would have thought?

So Long My Friend...And I'm Glad The Rest of You Were Just A Phone Call Away!

Life is all about moving forward. We must move on. Change is good. It allows us to learn new things, take us out of our comfort zone, and challenge ourselves.

Alas, I sold my Expedition last Saturday. He doesn't have a name (because I don't give names to my cars, and its not a she) I really loved that truck. But is it the truck or is it the memories? Perhaps it was just an enabler to wonderful experiences (Good way to rationalize my sadness) But my minds telling me no, but my body, my body is telling me yeesss! (Ok, bad R Kelley reference) But yeah, eventhough my heart was there to keep it, I just know it was going to continue to deteriorate and I would have to continue to put more money into it.

But in the spirit of Reverend Run(If you watch Run's House) the huge lesson I learned this weekend, was how powerful the simple reassuring words of friends and family are. Having someone there to reassure you that you made the right decision (regardless if it was or wasn't), made a huge difference in how I felt. I really appreciated the empathy and sympathy from my friends and family, and having someone there to listen made all the difference. Im learning more and more the value of community, while trying to balance that independent spirit to make my own way through life. But I truly appreciated having the reassurance and attention of my family and friends.

I know I just sold my truck. But I loved my truck. So, now we are moving on. I have already started the investigation into possible replacements. Lots of exciting options. But we'll see where this next journey takes us.

That's Amore...

Who doesn't love anything Italian. Pizza, spaghetti, Giada(from Food Network), gondolas, venice, fashion, shoes. What's not to love? Ok, I guess there is the mafia. But thats pretty much it. In any case this week has been an Italian food fest, and I have been loving it. My wife loves to read recipe books. I really can't understand how anyone can enjoy browsing through recipe books. But I'm super glad she and others do.

This week we had some incredibly unique and traditional Italian dishes for dinner...

Penne with asparagus, prosciutto, and smoked mozzarella. When we went to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients, I was all about getting fresh prosciutto from the deli counter. However when I saw the $25.99/lb for fresh deli sliced prosciutto (not even from Parma) I said pre-packed works for me. And actually it turned out super delicious in the dish.

Homemade ricotta cheese gnocchi. My wife is a huge fan of gnocchi. Me, not so much. But if my wife makes homemade gnocchi, you bet Ill eat it. It was quite yummy.

Homemade sheep's cheese pizza. One of the benefits of studying to be a pastry chef, is you learn how to make breads, but more importantly pizza crust. With pizza being one of my favorite foods in the entire universe, I was so ecstatic to hear that she learned how to make pizza dough. We have a baking stone and a mario batalli pizza thingy to create these crisp crust pizzas. The crust is really amazing, and she even dusted the bottom with a little corn flour. Light, crispy. However, I do have to say the sheep's cheese added a unique flavor. (almost blue-cheesey) If you also notice, its a half and half pizza (to accommodate my love for tomato sauce)

Im sure we will have another Italian food fest. And that's ok by me.

Death of a Legend

All good things come to an end. Unless you've been blessed with bringing things back to life. (e.g. Jesus, Pushing Daisies star) And boy do I wish I had that power now. Nothing super serious, except if you call needing a NEW ENGINE serious. Yes my trusty gas guzzling, super utility vehicle, 1st car I bought out of college, is pretty much kaput.

It turns out that my 1998 Expedition needs a new engine, due to a leaking head gasket or some mumbo jumbo like that. Coolant has been leaking into who knows where (nothing on the floor, most likely into the engine) My only symptom was a sudden increase in temperature for about 15 seconds and a red light which would go away in about 30 seconds. And you know we ignore all those flashing red lights on our dashboard that say "Emergency Something is Wrong with Engine, but lets keep our hopes up and maybe it will go away".

So when I finally brought it in to get checked at a dealer AND also getting a 2nd opinion from a local mechanic, they both gave the same diagnosis. It needs a new $5,000 engine (but that includes parts and labor)

Ok, so here are my options...

1) Buy the new engine, wait for other things to go wrong with my 173,000 mile truck, spend more $$$ on those, continue to spend more $$$ on gas, continue to destroy the environment BUT live the fabulous life by driving in comfort, bullying around those pesky priuses, and be able to pack my truck with whatever gear I want. I LOVE my truck. But I think its really time to go.

2) Be practical (as my wife would say) and buy another "basic" car (as my wife would say) which is more fuel efficient and not "pretentious" (as my wife would say).

Excerpt: My wifes definition of basic...
1) Lexus, Mercedes, Acura, Infiniti are a No-No, but a BMW X3 is ok because her boss drives one.
2) No leather, no navigation, no vehicle dynamics control because they are $$$.
3) Bluetooth, push button start, auxillary port for ipod are ok, if they are free.
4) No big hulking SUVs.
5) If it is a mini cooper or volkswagen beetle the rules above don't apply.

Im telling you, logic is not the most important factor with my wife and cars/technology. Its more of a fluffy science with her.

So I find myself at another crossroad in my life. Which car/truck do we get? I LOVE my truck (did I say that already?) Although we went through this process back in January and decided on a Subaru Outback, new models have come out and a whole new set of factors jump in. (Like can I live without a supersized SUV) I guess its a question of WANT vs. NEED. Damn, why does it always have to come down to that. Ill keep you updated.

Tivo To Go... Not so easy

I have been a Tivo loyalist for several years now and LOVE the technology. Tivo is not just a DVR but truly an integrated multimedia service. It allows you to listen to the songs on your computer through your TV, view photos on your computer on your TV, buy movie tickets, check traffic and weather among other things. But my latest foray into the world of Tivo is to get my favorite new fall show "Pushing Daisies" onto my Windows enabled Samsung Blackjack (for tv on the go) Heres my new technical challenge...

1) I can easily get my favorite shows from the Tivo box to my laptop. A free utility called Tivo Desktop 2.5 easily allows that. (Although it takes about the same time as the length of the show approx. 1.58GB)

2) Now the hard part. Now I need to compress it into a format that fits onto my 1GB micro SD storage card on my phone. The options are...
a) Use Windows Media Player 11 to seamlessly transfer and compress 1.58GB file into a .wmv file. At the best quality it takes about 20 min. Not too bad considering the size. However although it compresses down to a measly 70MB file, the video quality is barely watchable. Although this is a seamless solution, it really doesn't work for me. I need to find how I can improve this process.
b) Use a program called Direct Show Dump which allows me to convert my .Tivo 1.58GB file into an .mpg 1.58GB file, so that I can use a program like Roxio, or Divx Converter to convert the file into a 256MB .avi file. The quality is perfect. However this adds 3 additional steps and time...converting to .mpg, converting to .avi, and then manually transferring it to my phone.

Ok I probably lost most everyone by now. But is all this effort really worth it? I say no. Even if I do these things while I eat and wash the dishes, it still takes time to monitor. AND although Pushing Daisies is my new favorite show of the season, I watch it live anyways, so why do I need it on my phone.

We will get there one day when we can easily watch our favorite shows from our cell phones. But were not yet there.

Going Geek with a Cell Phone Belt Clip Holder

My new cell phone case arrived last Friday! And I had the opportunity this weekend to "adjust" to my new fashion accessory. Im sorry to say that it's tough to get used to...

Positives
1) Professional looking with black leather and cream stitching.
2) Has beltloops, so it wouldn't ruin my belts. It turns out the clip is also designed in such a way that it doesn't ruin my belts. (Great added bonus)
3) Much more comfortable than carrying the phone in my pocket.
4) Strong magnetic cover to keep the case closed.
5) Krusell cases are well made.

Negatives
1) No matter how I wear it, it still looks like Im wearing a utility belt. All I need to do now is put on a leather suit with a bat logo on my chest.
2) Because it is a case that the phone has to be removed from, there is still the possibility I can drop my phone and it can get scratched. (I liked my previous aluminum case because it saved my phone from at least 3 drops)
3) Kind of tough to take the phone out because the leather is tough. (Im sure it will soften up over time)
4) Still not 100% confident the case will NOT clip off and I will loose my phone. I definitely need to be careful.

Overall I think it is a good move. It is very functional and Im sure in the long run it will be more comfortable that fumbling it around in my pocket. BUT..after seeing the ipod nano, I started to reconsider the need for an "all in one device". But that opens the floodgates to a whole other set of factors.

The Joys of Tai Chi - Translating Mental Thought into Physical Action

After recovering from a cold last week I jumped back on the saddle this Sunday and joined a spinning class. The instructor Joanne was awesome. She regularly road bikes, had funky music, and her program that day incorporated lots of hills.

After the class I asked her a question about some trouble I had with exerting the right amount of effort. We got into a discussion of how your thoughts can actually translate into physical exertion. Sounds brainless right, your brain sends a signal and your muscles move. But this was more than that. If you continually focus on pedaling at a pace of say 85 rotations per minute, even without looking at a computer, you can most likely hit that pace if you concentrate enough. She made the comment that lots of her students initially thought its a bunch of mumbo jumbo. But I have always believed in the connection between mind and body, and I think we have more control of our physical actions than we think we do.

My 1st realization of this connection is when you have a cold. I always believed you can to a certain extent "will" your way out of being sick. Of course there are certain physical limitations, but a strong will, positive mindset, will take you far in recovery.

Another realization I had was when I started to take Tai Chi classes. Our teacher practiced Tai Chi/Chi Gong. Initially, I was more interested in the Tai Chi part, you know, slow motion, martial arts for old people. But after a few months, I found real value in the meditation and energy practice of Chi Gong. Like many, I was very skeptical of what they were saying. Energy channels in the body, feeling your internal organs, etc. I still can't feel my internal organs, but I definitely believe in continually practicing and increasing your awareness of your body. Some of the benefits include concentration (and believe me, as a reality tv junkie, I can definitely use some help with concentration), relieving stress by relaxing tense muscles, and quieting down your mind from all your worries.

So once I found the benefits of Tai Chi and Chi Gong, I tried to incorporate them into my active workouts, like spinning and mountain biking. Essentially, during times of heavy excertion, I would simply try to relax my shoulders, face, and any non-essential muscles to conserve energy. Makes sense right. There is even a recent book out called Tai Chi running.

In any case, I think our minds have much more potential in influencing our physical well being. There are many books right now talking about positive thoughts, and willing our way to success. I definitely believe in those principles. In mountain biking you are always supposed to look where you want to go, versus what you want to avoid. Otherwise you will just hit what you want to avoid. And in tennis you are supposed to visualize the shot successfully being hit in your head. And more times than not, it will totally work. Our thoughts and intentions are powerful things. I definitely need to think more positive thoughts and visualize my way to success.

Getting in shape one heart beat at a time

Lately, I've been on a mission to get back into a regular exercise routine. Inspired by signing up for a corporate JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge back on Sept. 19, I trained for several weeks before the run so I could be in somewhat decent shape. I bought some nice running shoes and an armband for my phone so I could listen to music. It turned out great.

As a result I've run more, mountain biked more, and have regularly gone to spinning classes at my Golds Gym (I feel a little better that my membership fees are not going entirely to waste)

Part of the motivation is I get to fill in my Polar watch software with historical workout data. It's great to see the month filled in with all my different workouts. When there are big gaps (e.g. due to recovering from a cold for a week) I get motivated to make sure that I get a workout in. But its great.

What it doesn't do though, is show what I ate that day. For example right now Im feeling guilty for eating 2 homemade cinamon rolls, and 2 cupcakes (both courtesy of my wife) yesterday after participating in a spin class in the morning.

Kind of tough when your wife studied to be a pastry chef. But really Im not complaining. It was fabulous.

I've gleaned lots of useful information from blogs and hopefully I can also provide some interesting info. Here are some up and coming topics, I hope to write about... 1) Moving on up, from mold to vaulted ceilings 2) Going geek with a cell phone belt clip holder 3) The joys of Tai Chi - translating mental thought into physical action.