Goodbye.......again.

We live in a disposable society...a disposable culture....with a TON of ellipses. I can't delete it because I like it, but I can't continue because it's no longer who I am or what I represent. Cheesy? Maybe. But it's time I moved on. I have. Join me.

http://drivebystaring.blogspot.com

New Cats

I'd like to introduce you all to Carter and Cash. They were born on January 12, 2006, but we just brought them home on March 12th. Cash is black and white. Carter is grey and white. Yes, they are named after Johnny Cash and June Carter, despite the fact that they're brothers. Carter has a double meaning for me, as it was the name of an old friend of mine who passed away back in highschool.

Aren't they adorable?

New House

So, you know the opening credits of that amazing sit-com Full House, where they show the row houses and the people playing in the park with the rolling hills and beautiful view? Well, I now live about two blocks from where those scenes were filmed. The area is a little sketchy at times, but Sonia and I love our new home. Two bedrooms, one bath. Our bedroom has this crazy built-in bed area with curtains that close it in and a dimmer light. We also have a nice little backyard, which we only share with one other apartment, and they don't seem to use it.

Anyway, here are the pictures.

New Job

So after a short period--about two weeks--of working at the chiropractor/acupuncturist's office I found a better job. I'm now working as the project coordinator for an association management firm, called Milde, Rollins & Associates, that works solely with non-profits. My duties as project coordinator vary from day to day, so I won't get into that. What I will tell you is that I love it thus far. My bosses are incredibly laid back--no micromanaging, which is nice. It's a real 9 to 5, including a one hour lunch break (that's right--only seven hours a day). Great benefits. Decent pay (well, maybe not for the Bay Area, but certainly as compared to what I'm used to).

Check out my bio at www.mra-sf.com. The info isn't exactly accurate, but hey, I made the webpage.

Oh, the first picture is my desk. I share a corner office with the office manager, Laurent. The second is the view from my desk. Not that exciting, but it's all I have.

The Beautiful Bay

Last weekend Sonia and I headed to the Marin Headlands across the Golden Gate Bridge for a short hike. The weather was amazing--both sunny and warm. The hiking trail left a little to be desired, but the landscape was beautiful. Although we didn't run into any mountain lions, we did see some deer, a lot of big birds, and a little mouse. Oh, the picture of me on the rock was taken right after I got back from Japan. We were in the Berkeley hills right off of Panoramic (Ave? St?).

Although the job search continues, I've been trying to keep busy and distracted in between my thusfar fruitless efforts to sell myself. The past few days were spent re-potting almost all of my plants. No easy task--they've been waiting for it for a while now.

What else...my birthday's coming up. I think Sonia and I are going to try and get out of the city. I want to go camping in the Redwoods. Unfortunately, all of my camping gear is still up in Portland, but I think we have enough here to get by.

We've recently become obsesssed with a series on The Learning Channel. It's basically a set of documentary pieces on individuals with unbelievable physical abnormalities. Here are a few examples: Baby with a parasitic head, the 750 pound man, the woman with half a body, and the baby with no face. Heart-wrenching stuff, but it sure makes you appreciate what you have, even if it is too much free time.

Hope all is well.

v(*-*)v

Surviving the Season

Yep. I made it through. It really wasn't that bad at all. Sonia and I spent Christmas on the top of a hill with a bit of steak and champagne. We even had a tree--my first real tree. We kept perhaps my only holiday tradition alive by eating cinnamon roles on Christmas day. Unfortunately, we couldn't help but open our gifts on Christmas Eve.

For New Year's Eve we headed up to Portland for a little vacation. We stayed in an amazing hotel and spa the first two nights, and then headed to Jesse and Jeff's place in North Portland for the final two nights. New Years was spent at Rebecca, Doug, and Kevin's place. It was really nice to catch up with old friends.

Other than that my time is spent looking for the perfect job (or any M-F, 9-5), reading, and eating. Ok, that's not entirely true. I did get a lot of great books this holiday season, though. I'm currently reading Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Murakami, A People's History of the United States by Zinn, and a few others occasionally.

Suppose that's all. To everyone who has left posts on my blog: Thank you. I would love to write you back, but I don't have your email addresses. I think you have mine.

Oh, yeah. Look how super cool all those people are with the matching cell phones.

Good Things:

1. Sunset on the roof with a beer and friends. The beer is Newcastle, which I know some Brits don't approve of, but I enjoy nonethe- less. The friends are Sonia and Amber. Amber is in the picture. Sonia is taking the picture. The view is spectacular, but it takes a big hill to create a view like that, and when you live half way up a big hill you often have to walk up a big hill. Where's the logic there?

2. Juevos Racheros. Delicious. They were made at a place called Rex Cafe...I think.

3. The International Spy Shop. Could there be anything cooler? No. The answer is no. They actually sell stuff so that I can make you poop your pants. Watch out. (ha, ha, ha). They also sell hats that say "CIA" and "ATF" and "FBI" and others. I'm currently reading, a few books really, but one by Mumia Abu-Jamal called We Want Freedom. There's a whole chapter about COINTELPRO (COunter INTELligence PROgram). Check it out.

Went to Sonia's cousin's book reading on Sunday. He co-edited a book called Letters From Young Activists. I haven't read much, but what I have read is good. You can see for yourself at www.lettersfromyoungactivists.org. But this is not a commercial.

What else? Oh yeah. This is not included in the "Good Things" title. The governor executed Stanley Tookie Williams, a man who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize six times. SIX TIMES! Unbelievable. I always thought that California was supposed to be a progressive state.

The job hunt continues. I've had three offers for positions that were part-time and less than desireable. I had one great interview with a company I liked, but it seems like that's not going to work out. Still, there are plenty of jobs out there waiting to be found. I am excited for my last Nova paycheck though.

Hope all is well.
Peace.

Water Chickens

Yes, they are ducks. I know they're not really swimming chickens. Still, they're strange ... and who's to say that chickens couldn't swim if they really wanted to? Is it really a question of ability, or is it simply a matter of desire? If you don't know, perhaps you should ask the water chickens.

Palace of Fine Arts

Goldengate Bridge

Thanksgiving @ Alcatraz

Fisherman's Wharf

I took these pictures down at Fisherman's Wharf near Pier 39. Sonia says the sea lions are there year round, and you can hear them outside our apartment at night. All this is a mere 15 minute walk from our front door.

Home Sweet Home

It's been about a week and a half since I came back to the States, and it's clear now that I've made a good decision. I still love Japan, but it's so nice to be back (living near Japantown). San Francisco is beautiful. I took these pictures from the roof of the apartment. The tower is called Coit Tower, and was built to commemorate firefighters, maybe in the aftermath of the earthquake. I think you can see the Bay as well.

Tadaima!

Although I've yet to return to the states, and no one even knows this blog exists, it feels so boring with no posts. So here's the first.

Sonia and me at Multnomah falls, taken sometime last spring when Arash was visiting us in Portland.