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Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
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After my last entry, I really just realized I need to do handle my own situation. It was good I channeled those feelings and the realization that I needed to change. But now I need to actually do something about it, instead of getting caught in the same self-defeating cycle which has happened 2-3 times since graduation.
GOALS FOR THE NEXT YEAR
Cooking:
1) Make incredible chicken marsala.
I love chicken marsala. When I learn to make this, I could probably make this 2-3 nights a week. And I feel everyone should have one signature dish they can knock out of the park if need be. Like if you need to impress a girl and cook for her. I'm not planning on meeting any new girls, but I'm sure Olivia wouldn't mind if I cooked more. :) And hell I'd like to cook, I'm getting really sick of eating out. I mean I hate having to talk to people so this is the next step to total isolation. I just need to get over the fear of failure with cooking. No one wants to make shitty food.
2) Get comfortable in a butcher shop.
GQ had a good feature about butcher shops 2 issues ago. I feel like it is a classic male rite of passage in a way. I love meat. I was walking around the Costco poultry/meat section just looking at all the stuff they had and realized I didn't have a clue about half of it or how to cook it. I don't even really know the differences between steaks when I go to a steakhouse really. As much as I love animals, I know how shady the meat industry is (NYT had an article about E.Coli that made me swear off ground beef for weeks), and I sympathize with the crazy vegas at First Friday showing slaughterhouse footage ("I see your vision mama" --Jigga), I'm just not not going to eat meat. Sorry folks. I want to know the differences between a bone-in ribeye and a New York strip.
Health:
3) Get in high school wrestling shape.
I have this picture I found of me in mid wrestling season. My shirt is off and I was like DAMN. I remember how I just wanted to be huge in high school (never happened, surprise, I'm naturally lanky) but I was cut. I think the lighting was really good because it was from above but STILL...something to aspire to. I'm just focused on running as much I can and working on my core. I don't want to be a huge bro anymore (thank god...)
4) Start biking.
Since I'd like to live in Europe for a year and be a crazy socialist (j/k supply-side economics for life!) and also because I believe in crazy peak oil shit, I really need to get comfortable on a bike. I don't know where to store it with the apartment, and I wish I had a truck so I could take it places and ride but still: Going to go to Target and get a cheap bike and start riding that motherfucker. Our apartment has beach cruisers for rent if I want to act like a total tool (or The Game).
Travel:
5) Visit Camp Nou.
I wrote about how I really wanted to visit Barcelona but I also want to do a crazy stupid soccer pilgrimage thing where I go visit a bunch of stadiums across Europe. But the one I really want to visit is the Camp Nou. I love Barca, love Thierry Henry, love the architecture of the stadium, love Barcelona, would take a 10,000/euro job as an usher there if I could. I was on the Barca website and you can take a tour of the stadium on the off-days! Like you can even get an audioguide like the museums and it's self-paced so you can just spend 4 hours walking through their museum, the changing room and sitting in different seats and shit. Awesome!
6) Improve to conversational-level Spanish.
Need to step my game up. I got a phrase book, a bunch of verb workbooks, and Rosetta Stone (free 99!) but haven't been using them. I feel like the only way to learn is to force myself into total immersion. Would go to Mexico but don't like being caught in random shootouts or smuggling drugs up my butt. Decisions...
Career:
7) Make a decision on grad school.
Yes, I'm thinking of doing more grad school. Looking into an MHSM (Masters of Health Sector Management) at ASU. It's two nights/week program so I could work and go to school. Downsides: More $$ in loans (or out of savings if I paid cash), time. Upsides: Could possibly land jobs with drug companies, hospital administration, public policy or my dream of dealing with finance. I would be so excited to get up in the morning and influence macro change in the world or at least just love my job. If I could make more money would be cool but not necessary.
8) Rebuild my professional network.
The more bad days I have at my job, the more I realize I need to rebuild relationships with classmates which all too easily fall by the wayside when you get out of school and don't see them everyday. Also, need to work on my resume and get myself in the hunting mode again, just in case anything were to happen. I'm not planning on making a switch anytime soon per se but trying to get up on that LinkedIn and reassure myself that I'm a hell of a candidate for anything that were to come up. Because I am.
Self:
9) Read more.
Starting to do this more and the more I read, the more I don't regret it. Yes, I'm getting the Bill Simmons book, yes, I'm going to enjoy, and yes, I'm going to get it signed at Desert Ridge book signing. I don't care if it will have awkward Teen Wolf/Shawshank references or rehashes from the column. Or that he fell off. Whew, that felt like confessional.
10) Relax.
I have a year and change worth of living expenses saved. As much as I feel trapped in my job at times, or grateful to have it with the shitty economy (5.4 million jobs lost in the last year...), there are great things going on in my life and if something bad were to happen (god forbid) then I will figure it out and rebound better.
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Friday, September 4th, 2009
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While I know this economic time has caused lots of good people to lose their jobs, equity in their homes, etc. etc. I feel obliged to point out some of the good things we have experienced from this recession. I know my point of view is different as one of the people who has been fortunate to keep my job, and my point-of-view would likely to be different if I lost my job, which is not outside of the realm of possibility. Still, there have been beneficial effects of the recession, especially for people under the age of 30.
1) Housing/Rent
I saw an interview with Suze Orman (no jokes, please...) talking about how this recession was absolutely necessary because housing prices were spiraling out of control to the point where no one under the age of 35 would even be able to afford a home if they had continued. It's a valid point. This was a necessary correction in housing prices AND to the myth that the best investment is a house. It's one of the WORST investments but that's neither here nor there. I feel sorry for the people upside down in their house and with now wrecked credit but I also believe in personal responsibility.
For renters, you are paying a lot less. We got a huge concession on our apartment. I mean, I truly believe we are paying the fair price because I can't imagine paying what they actually had these listed as full retail value. Still, the negotiation power is in the peoples' hands now, especially with commitment items like cars, leases, etc.
2) 401k/Stocks
If you are under 30, this drop in the markets is one of the best things to happen. You are able to load up on cheap securities now for your 401(k) and investment plans. Trust me, I have made all the investment mistakes when it comes to daytrading/trading in general. Now, I'm just getting a well-balanced basket of index funds, contributing as much as I can to my 401(k), and hoping the market goes down more so I can be selfish and can buy even more shares...although, I'm okay with it going up for my parents' sake. That brings me to my next point:
3) Asset Allocation
Let this be a lesson. When you are 30, you should be in 30% safe, non-junk bonds, treasuries or CDs. 40: 40% bonds. 50: 50% bonds. I bet 9 of 10 parents you know, we were way too heavily invested in stocks, due to the idea that the market would always go up, and are now paying for it by having to recoup money in a very short window before retirement or working longer than they'd like. I hope that I always remember this lesson and make sure that at least half my money is in safe, capital-preserving investments when I'm within 10 years of retirement (I also hope I live to see 59 and 1/2.)
4) World Politics/Green Revolution/Peak Oil/Whatever
Go read the newest GQ (Michael Jackson on the cover) and the article about how Putin came into power in Russia. It may be controversial, but I believe there is some substance to it. Anyway, one of the reasons he has stayed in power was the mass influx of petrodollars that everyone was loving. The economic crisis has hurt a lot of the BRIC countries and has given the U.S a real opportunity to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and develop alternative energy. We probably won't get our crap together and take it but it gives us a chance. Also, if you believe in peak oil, this probably bought us another 3-5 years due to the reduction in fossil fuel consumption.
5) Deflation
Just like oil prices went way down (because Goldman Sachs stopped fucking with everything) which put a lot more money in consumers pockets, widespread deflation has made everything cheaper for the most part. But watch out for senior citizens who will still demand a cost-of-living increase. And will probably get it. Have I mentioned that I have soured on Obama in general lately? I mean what the hell was Cash for Clunkers if not just a direct way to subsidize auto dealers and how is going to let a 40-senator GOP just whip his ass like this? Democrats really are spineless pussies. Anyone read Tuesday Morning Quarterback on ESPN? He explains it better than me. Moving on.
6) Contractors
I didn't own or try to buy a house in 2005-2006, but even I remember what a dick people in the homebuying industry and contracting industry were on the whole. When they were overloaded with work, they would overcharge you and do a half-ass job or build you a house with paper-thin walls, at least here in Arizona. Now, shoe's on the other foot. You can name your price and save, just like Priceline.
7) Ponzi Schemes
Speaking of dicks, do you think Bernie Madoff would have ever gotten caught if not for a falling market and a huge demand for redemptions? I mean the SEC...heads up their asses. He was literally taking money and transferring it to his Chase bank account. He told investigators he averaged 20% returns every year based on his gut. He was supposed to be trading millions of shares but wasn't trading hardly ANYTHING. And they never caught on? Idiots.
8) Vacations
It's really cheap to go on vacation right now. You might need a vacation because you'll be doing 2 peoples' jobs at work, but it will be cheap.
9) Appreciation of non-monetary gifts
Seems like a lot of people recently are realizing money isn't all that important. It took losing that money for them to realize it, but we will take what we can get.
10) Sarah Palin
The economy is really what won the election for Obama/really tarnished Bush's legacy. Tiny Fey helped, but go back and look at the poll data compared to the S and P 500. With a strong economy, Sarah Palin would have came close or maybe even been a heartbeat away from the Presidency. A very old heartbeat. Don't mean to dog on John McCain because I have actually come to appreciate my senior senator since the election ended. I mean, I still think he is shady, but let's face it, so is Obama. Or all politics. Anyway, the drop in oil revenue in part likely caused Palin to resign in Alaska, too. Double score!
Moral of the story: The economy sucks and there are things about it that annoy me every day too, but 5 years from now people will be harkening back to when they could have bought stocks for cheap or how expensive housing is. So take advantage of it now. And save some cash in case things don't get better.
I don't mean to sound holier-than-thou...I have lost money, had to do more with less at work, and have been stressed about the future just like everybody else.
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Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
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Vacation Summary 2009
I am deep into my two week (paid!) vacation, the first time since I started pharmacy school many years ago where I have had this much time off with no responsibility. Everything has been going amazing. Thought I'd write about my recent travels a little bit. In the last 10 days, I have been to Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas. I have been "living it up" in nice hotels, doing touristy things and burning through money. And while I'm very glad I did it, I think I have come to accept my personality and that city life may just not be for me. For now, I'm just going to recap my L.A experience:
Part 1
Impressions of Los Angeles (West Hollywood, CA):
6 hour drive felt longer than I expected, maybe I'm just not a road-trip person either. We stayed in West Hollywood, which was awesome location to see all the touristy sights and celebrity hangouts. I admit I get kind of star-struck by these type of things, even if most celebrities are pieces of shit. I can't help it! Didn't see any celebrities, however. Name a celebrity place in Hollywood and we did it for the most part. Even took an open-roof bus tour of all the famous sights and all through Beverly Hills. I would definitely recommend that, our driver was hilarious and very knowledgeable...a crazy Armenian driver who talks shit about Scientology, makes O.J jokes, and told us how to sneak into the Playboy mansion. It was like a Middle Eastern Biegelman.
No local people walk in L.A. It's crazy, they have the best weather and everything is pretty close together...well, compared to Arizona. Also, this city has no parking. None. You valet your shit for exorbitant amounts of money or try to figure out where to park on the street, after you read the 6 street signs which tell you when you can or cannot park and try to figure out if those signs even apply to your area...L.A has never heard of a parking garage. Build up, you fuckers. If you find a lot to park your shit at yourself (I don't really feel like valeting my car even though it's not nice) you will still pay a lot and you will be forced to park your car on the lines because the spaces are so small (and my car isn't even that big either) In general, the city is a transportation nightmare but that is part of why it is so visually appealing because everything is close together and built up on the hill. I guess I should clarify my statements because we didn't go to downtown L.A at all so maybe that's different...
The girls in L.A were pretty attractive. (Olivia, stop reading now.) I mean it's a good city for people watching in general. Just like the restaurants there, there are truly people of all kinds. Arizona has good girls in the college way...where L.A had better adult girls with more developed since of style. Arizona has more hot white girls, where L.A has more hot minority girls. So that's my take on that...I was just looking to inform my friends. It's definitely a place where you could become obsessed with your image, people say that about Scottsdale but I don't really see it, maybe because I just view this town as minor league so I can't really take any of these people seriously.
L.A has amazing cars to look at, if you like cars. I saw numerous Bentleys, couple Rolls Royce Phantoms, Ferraris (one driven by a real douchebag doctor in his scrubs in Santa Monica), Lamborghini Murcielago, BMW M6 (probably my favorite car you could realistically get under 100k), Escalades, not a ton of MBs but enough...just everything. It was ridiculous. The money you see paraded around you is almost just depressing...but what can you do? It's a city that rewards the top 1% and they show out.
That's another thing that just tripped me up about everything was how shitty the roads are, the homeless population and the lack of value they receive for the tax money. California in general is just a clusterfuck but for all the money the government should take in there you'd think they wouldn't have such problems. I don't know why they don't split that state up sometimes.
Finally, how does these people live? Everything is expensive (I'm sure you find cheaper spots when you live there to eat, drink, etc. but...), real estate is STILL overvalued, there are no grocery stores or anything nearby let alone a Wal-Mart or Target, plus I can see how you'd get claustrophobic since it's just a rambling mess of a city with no organization. If you were to live anywhere I think you'd live in Santa Monica...close enough to the activities but there it's more suburban (more space/parking) and it's closer to the beach, which is pretty much 80% of the reason to go through the hassle of living in California anyway. Olivia thinks I'm an old man because I talk about the taxes you'd have to pay to live there (maybe I'm getting more conservative...), but still it's about VALUE. Scottsdale has nicer roads and parks, stores, parking, accessibility, less claustrophobic etc. plus you get more money in your pocket to buy cheaper things. L.A just has the nice weather and the beach...and Arizona's weather is nice 8 months of the year plus I'm one of the weird ones who doesn't mind the summer heat. It's cool to live there if you are in the industry, I just don't know why you would if you weren't. The only job I'd like to have there would be at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to see all the crazy fucked-up celebrities you'd get.
If I went back, I'd probably check out Santa Monica more. Talk about expensive though...yuppie-central out there plus maybe some of the worst traffic in the state during touristy times.
B.I.G had it right...Cali, great place to VISIT.
Too lazy to write up SD and L.V right now...maybe later...
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I'm applying for a U.S Passport this week. My list of places I've visited is embarrassingly small and limited to the U.S, Canada and Mexico. Now that I am graduated and have a little bit of money, I'm really ready to start seeing all the places I read about and watch on the Travel Channel. Actually, the best time to travel is probably when you are still a student but I was too dumb and single-minded to travel in college...that logic got me through pharmacy school at the young age of 23 and before the recession so I can't complain but the summer I had off before pharmacy school would have been perfect for some globetrotting. Oh well, can't undo past decisions and I'm excited for the future!
The first place I'd like to visit is Barcelona, Spain. I'm not sure the exact reason I've settled on there but every time I picture myself getting away when I have a bad day at work, etc., I picture Barcelona as the destination. I have been reading all about it on Wikipedia and other sites trying to get a feel for the city. I need to brush up on my Spanish (need to find my copy of 501 Spanish Verbs or as Sra. Raught called it "la biblia") but I think I'm a pretty quick learner when it comes to language. My copy of Rosetta Stone will help as well, though the software isn't quite as amazing as they describe it and can be a little redundant.
Some things that draw me to Barcelona (and these may be dumb, but...):
1) My fascination with coastal towns, being by the water, and desire to be a beach bum (living in Arizona may contribute to the need to be by water)
2) One of my favorite, if not my favorite, soccer team plays there (F.C Barcelona) so I can make a pilgrammage to the Camp Nou
3) My favorite Jackie Chan film was made there (Meals on Wheels...rent it!)
4) A mild Mediterranean climate
5) Some amazing architecture including Torre Agbar, Park Güell, Sagrada Família, Camp Nou, and the Gothic Quarter...too lazy to post more pictures but it's well documented on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona ... I'm convinced that if I had made a couple different decisions I would have been an architect trying to get a job in Europe. Now I'm just a boring American pharmacist.
6) But wait...they have a pharmacy school there, too! The University of Barcelona has a Pharmacy School, I'll have to check it out and see if they give a shit about me at all :)
I think America is an amazing country and I'm very grateful to be living here but I do want to check out life around the world and see the other cities on my list like London, Tokyo, Florence, Rio de Janiero, Phuket, etc.
Only problem with my plans is my work currently only gives me two weeks of vacation and my 2009 vacation is already set with trips to Las Vegas and California, which I am very much looking forward to. And since my job does depend on me (which gives me a good amount of job security, for now at least) I don't have the option to take unpaid time off or have a lot of flexibility. I'm jealous of my mom getting every summer off. That's the problem with the addictiveness of money...you get used to the income and soon you need to have it, along with the bills that start after graduating like student loans, car payments and moving out on your own (yes, I lived at home until I was 23...) Still, I'm determined to make it work and might try to work with my job so I could get an extended amount of time off in 2010.
Oh, and as of August 1st, I will have been a pharmacist for exactly one year :) Which means: I get to keep my signing bonus. Woo hoo!
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The license plate: RAPALOT
The window decal: "Geto For Life"
The car? Honda Civic del Sol
The sound system? Loud!
And just to preempt your shit talk: 63mph only because it was a construction zone (55mph) and I was taking a picture and I haven't got a chance to wash my car in a bit hence the dirty windshield.
Post coming this weekend about our new apartment (love it!), the iPhone 3GS (who named that shit? better specs, tho) and maybe the NBA Finals.
Oh, and fuck AT&T!
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As close to a buzzer beater as you will ever have in soccer. Freakin' awesome. Thank god I have someone to root for vs. Man U. Would really like to see Henry get a Champions League trophy.
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This dude really puts it out there why the financial system will stay screwed up. Yes, bad home loans, ARMs, ponzi schemes, bad asset allocation are part of the puzzle, but...
I'll try to make this one short. I got a D in money and banking when I was here at Wharton.... In the old days, you would gather deposits in the community and then reinvest them through loans to help businesses. You would grow based on your capital and your ability to get deposits. Citibank came out and said, "Look, you need to leverage your capital. There are other forms of capital." Which I call debt. I learned they were debt. Today they're capital. But they said, "You need to manage your liabilities because assets are easy to get. You can make loans. You can buy securities. Assets are simple. It's funding them that's hard. So rather than go out in the community to get people's savings, you can manage your liabilities by borrowing money from the Federal Reserve, the home loan bank."
That was the beginning of really leveraging up in the financial industry. There wasn't much leverage before that. I got a D because Wharton was teaching that at the time. It was the theory of the day. I'd grown up with a father who was livid about it, who just said, "No, you manage your assets." So I wrote a paper saying, "This is all wrong." I didn't have a teacher who appreciated dissent. He didn't want to see me again so he didn't fail me.
I think some of the roots go back that far, where we started coming up with the concept of leverage. You then take that forward. You have your liability management. You can fund almost any asset. You get a new class of people coming out, frankly, of places like Wharton -- who are very driven, and very driven about compensation. And you come up with new asset products because the ability to leverage your capital, the ability to fund the acquisition of assets, becomes almost unlimited. So now, what are we going to do? There are so many hardware stores to lend money to. There are so many people to give mortgages. We need new things. So we had people invent -- literally, I think, "invent" is the right word -- complex assets of long-term unpredictable nature, not well-understood, except by computers.... And then we compensated them for their production in the sale of these instruments. To me, that whole process of unlimited funding, extreme leverage and then a shortage of financial product -- along with paying huge sums of money to bright people to invent more and more product that could be sold and allegedly spread risk -- brought the house of cards down. I think we have to look at this.
As I always say, I'll give someone a bonus for making a loan after [he or she] collects it. We don't give bonuses. I have a friend who's an anesthesiologist. I had surgery, and as I was going in, I said, "Howard, you're gonna put me to sleep." And he said, "Anybody can put you to sleep. I'm gonna wake you up. You're paying me to wake you up." Well, we need to pay these people to collect. I think the compensation system has been terribly skewed. When people rant and rave that it's the bonuses that caused this -- they might not even know what they're talking about because they're just enraged. But in a sense, they're right. And so to me, it's excess leverage, unlimited funding, and compensation for coming up with new product.
From the excellent interview: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2228 which was first brought to my attention by ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) wibblywobbly...
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This is messed up. Don't watch if you have a weak stomach for gore or cheesy workplace safety videos.
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Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
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Don't lie - you used to love this show.
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Whenever I'm feeling down, you need a go-to music video. This is one of mine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6sG8WFaZ28
I can't embed it but my favorite parts:
1) Sampling the theme song to the show Night Court
2) A cleanly shaved Cam looking about 12 years old with a young Jim Jones dancing like a fool
3) The all-white dress code...wtf
4) Big Pun looking around 500 pounds and ridiculous
5) Flex appearing in a Jets jersey...Wayne Chrebet?
6) Silkk the Shocker batting cleanup on a song...
7) What was considered attractive in 1998 re: female attire
8) Wyclef being filmed off-set of this atrocity
9) Charli Baltimore with one of the worst verses in the history of rap
10) Big Pun being in front of a fan while rapping...poor guy
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Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
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We are driving to Vegas for the weekend, leaving Friday morning. The worst part of driving from Phoenix to Las Vegas or vice versa is the Hoover Dam area. It's cool to go through the first time (it's a pretty impressive feat of engineering) but it's also a horrible logjam accomidating way more traffic than it ever meant to as well as a Homeland Security issue (I know, I know isn't everything these days...but it really is...)
However, the bridge they are building to bypass the Dam, which was supposed to be done in Late 2008 btw, looks like it will be absolutely terrifying to go over. I speak as someone who is not too good with heights.
That's a long way down.
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I made a new blog cause I'm weird:
http://wegotezpasses.blogspot.com/
It's basically a place to document all the weird, lame, and/or funny lines in hip-hop. Name is from the famous (infamous?) Jay-Z line "How you gonna stop us with your measly asses, we don't stop at the tolls, we got EZ passes, nigga!" Probably the wackest line he has ever said until like the last three years.
Anyway, send me any ideas if you got em. I can buy the domain www.wegotezpasses.com for $10 for a year so that is tempting. If I can keep updating this for than 2 weeks without going ADD, then I might. Also, I would need proof that at least 10 people have ever read my blog. Then it's a dollar per person.
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Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
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The new M Resort in Vegas has a pharmacy. Total dream job...actually, probably hell with abusive drunk customers and tons of transferring controlled substance prescriptions across state lines but intriguing concept. Going to have to check it out when I'm in Vegas next week.
"While the slots, blackjack tables and guest rooms are standard casino requirements, the property also has a few unique features worth mentioning.
Like a pharmacy.
Yes, I said pharmacy. A real, fully-staffed pharmacy -- not some edgy-named pool party or nightclub (M hasn’t announced any Rehab-style pool parties and has no nightclub to speak of.)
Thanks to this pharmaceutical innovation, patrons can have their prescriptions filled while they dine, gamble, or are otherwise entertained on-site. And after a pharmacist doles out the drugs, staff will deliver them right to the customer’s table or slot machine."
Doles out the drugs...no wonder this profession suffers from a lack of respect.
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The Suns cemented their place in the lottery tonight with their loss to Dallas. What a joke this team is. It's sad when Louis Amundson and Grant Hill are your toughest defenders. That being said, in the East we'd be in the playoffs. Karma for when the Patriots whooped the Cardinals ass and still missed the playoffs with a better record than us. Or when the D-Backs won the World Series in the 4th season with a steroided Matt Williams and a now questionable Luis Gonzalez (I really hope he didn't do it though...he's a real nice guy...)
Or Robert Sarver fucking over Joe Johnson and completely destroying what could have been many seasons of title runs. And letting Kurt Thomas and (former ASU star) Eddie House (valuable role players and fan favorites) go for nothing. Whatever. Amare will be back next year with a bionic eye (still no heart) and we will get a lottery pick which we will probably sell for cash. Fuck Robert Sarver.
So, what about ASU's chances in the NCAA tournament?
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Saturday, March 7th, 2009
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First Friday Downtown was fun.
1) Weird people, but we probably only saw 20% of them. Didn't get to check out the guy who swallows swords and hangs things from his eyelids, all the crazy Scientology and anti-Scientology people, or witness any good breakdancing.
2) Saw at least two encounters where people got in verbal arguments with bartenders ending in hilarious results. The bartenders downtown suck and have really trashy tattoos. (More trashy than your usual bitter bartender...and more bitter, too.)
3) Got to see some really self-indulgent art like a guy who cut a page out of Rolling Stone, printed some words on it, framed it, and was trying to see it for $1200. FOH. But some nice art, too.
4) Rode the Phoenix Light Rail for the first time. Impressions: Very clean. Runs to semi-useful locations but only really efficient to shuttle you from Uptown Phoenix to Downtown or Tempe. Relatively free of undesirables. We got our passes checked by some hardass Metro Paul Blart. He reminded us to always tap our passes to which we replied "Oh, I definitely tapped that" Our 14-year-old humor may have disgusted our fellow riders and maybe the girls in our party. Oh well! One group of out-of-towners took the light rail the complete opposite way of where they were supposed to go. And it was the last train at 11pm! Why does it stop running at 11pm? Weak. Oh and the Park and Ride does not seem too secure. Saw lots of random people hanging around the outside area, training for future crimes by randomly sprinting around down the street. I'd be happier it had a huge barbed wire fence around the cars and there was more than just one guy riding around on a Segway patrolling. Like maybe actual armed police officers?!
5) Got a random hot dog off a street vendor and lived to tell about it and also ate at Majerle's afterwards. Jon and I stumbled into a random backroom accidently and found ourselves face-to-face with Cedric Ceballos. He was like fixing a light or something there. I was like DUDE, you won the freakin Dunk Contest! Now he's like managing that restaurant part-time. Thunder Dan looks out for his own! I also ordered a "Diddy" at Majerle's...Ciroc and lemonade, baby.
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Today is a great day. Slept forever, went to Kashman's with Olivia for breakfast then took it back to 2004 and swam at the Terravita pool and worked out there. Middle-aged ladies at the pool were too funny talking about Facebook and the best happy hours in town. Don't y'all got a family? Now I'm at home, chilling, and watching the various ESPN programming and MTV Jamz. I could do this all day.
P.S: I even got tan. It's 91 degrees here! March in Arizona...
P.P.S: I finally found a CDQ version of "Tear It Up"...one of the top 5 songs they used to play at the Buzz. Hoollllaaaaa...
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Monday, February 16th, 2009
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I hope Griffey, Jr. resigns with the Mariners. Because...
( I got baseball cards! )
Still missing the 1989 Upper Deck "1" card, though. I need to buy that sometime...
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