June Goals - Recap

Social:

• Take a trip to Chicago and see "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me" live.  Pass - Mo wasn't there so I couldn't get his autograph for Grandma but I did shake hands with Peter Sagal AND Legendary Anchorman, Bill Curtis. 

Most people don't know Peter Sagal is bald…and hilarious!

• Father's Day with Dad - in which we will be pruning bonsai trees and having a BBQ. I can get my zen on! - Pass - although I was extremely exhausted from lack of sleep and my insane work schedule, I was able to help Dad a little and spend time together. Win-win!
• Go to the El Dorado County Fair. Yep, my childhood fair that I have not gone to in 10 years. Luckily, this time I can walk around with a margarita! Maybe I can bribe my sister into going with me (and she won't throw ice cream at any jerks again). - Fail - I was wayyyy too tired. Plus, my sister didn't want to go and that's no fun.

Physical:

• Yoga once a week with Zoe - Both of our schedules really screwed this one up but we're willing to try again. - Fail - Zoe became Manager of her own store and didn't really have the time but that's ok - I didn't either. It's a bummer but maybe we can make up for it.
• 12,000 steps a day - I'm waiting for my pedometer to die so I can buy a Fit-Bit. I may as well wear the damn thing out for the sake of health. - Fail - as usual, work got in the way.
• Down 10 lbs - I can do this. I got out my copy of Tim Ferriss' "The 4-Hour Body" which helped me the first time and I'm on the road again. - Fail - The lure of pizza and wonderful Chicago food..like Italian Beef Sandwiches…lured me from my goal.
• Get my damn hair cut! - I'm not a girlie-girl, I love my long hair but it's just getting in the way. - Pass - took 5" off and tried new highlights. As my beloved friend Claudius said "you have a sensible 30-year old haircut"…I'm attempting to dye it red again as we speak.

Financial:

• Up my Roth IRA monthly contributions - I'm only putting in about 60% of what I should. I'd be happy getting this up to 75%. - Pass - upping the amount today. Still, I'd rather put it in my travel fund.

Miscellaneous:

• Start taking more pictures. I wasn't very good at this in Pittsburgh and I really need to up my game for the various social and travel opportunities coming up. Not to mention, I'd like to decorate my walls with something. - Pass - took great Chicago pics!
• Go to Off the Grid! I have this one on here again because it pissed me off I couldn't squeeze it last time. I WILL get my Horchata Kettle Korn! - Fail - still didn't make it but that doesn't mean that I won't next month.

This was a good month. I just wish I didn't focus so much on making money. Luckily, next month won't give me that option.

Come and Knock On Our Door…..in Pittsburgh?!?

It's amazing the things that draw you to your friends. I met my friend Sean at the Burning Man from hell in 2007. We can laugh now in retrospect about how inept our camp leader was (he packed Sean's vegetarian foods at the bottom of the cooler underneath all the meat, leaving Sean to basically not eat for the last two days of the trip), how Sean's sister almost had to be sent to Reno because of alcohol poisoning (very common out there by the way - alcohol and 100+ degree temps don't mix) and of course me accidentally (I swear!) eating a half dozen hash cookies and being comatose for two days (and being fed water hourly by my awesome campmates). At the time it was hell but we kept it funny by pretending the whole camp was a Three's Company episode.

I was Larry because I did the best impression…I think a guy ended up being Mrs. Roper

Needless to say, after that we've been best buddies ever since (and still sing the Three's Company theme song). And after Sean telling me about how much he wished his awesome girlfriend (now wife) was there at Burning Man with us, I knew she and I would get along great…and we do (hey Amanda, maybe YOU can be Mrs. Roper? Huh huh? Come on…), oh sorry to get off track. This story is really about going to see my buddies - Sean & Amanda.

I had been saying for years that I was going to go to Pittsburgh and visit them when they moved out there a few years ago. One of my favorite vacations ever was going to Daytona Beach, Florida and spending the 4th of July weekend of 2008 doing our own cheap-ass rendition of Burning Man, appropriately called "Burning Stick". This comprised of us getting drunk and burning a 1 ft version of "the man" in someone's backyard. The weekend also included eating lots of junk food, driving around listening to early 90's rap music, going to a water park and telling jokes and stories until the wee hours of the morning - it was a hoot. I didn't get to spend nearly as much time with them as I wanted to when they were living out here a few years ago so it was time to brush off my frequent flier card….which had expired. I hadn't been on a plane in four years (since the Capn and I went to Oahu - I'm the only person on Earth who thinks Oahu is totally overrated) and I was surprised at how easily I was able to get in and out of the airports - hint: bring a backpack, not luggage. So surprised that when I ran in front of Sean's car, he damn near hit me. Of course, I didn't make it better by getting in and immediately saying "quick man, the cops are after me, go go!!" in front of Sean & Amanda's 7 year old son who really thought the cops were after me. Oops.

I really didn't want to do much sightseeing - I just wanted to spend time with my buddies. I was thinking about what we could do for the day when I noticed a gem from my childhood - "dude, is that Mario Bros. 3? Wholly shit! Can we play?" So we did…all weekend! Sadly, it took us a day and a half to go through every level on Mario Bros. 3 (we didn't do any of that warping crap - this was old skool). It was still fun and we got a lot of good jokes out of it. Amanda set up a fire pit in the backyard and invited her hilarious cousins over, we went to an awesome sushi dinner, and the sandwiches…oh yeah! We don't have sandwiches like this out here.

Primanti Bros. Pastrami - I dream about you my sweet…

It was a great time. I'm pissed at myself for not going out there sooner and plan to make it a yearly thing (besides, I left my orange mug I got out there and I need an excuse to go get it). I was able to see my buddies, relive old hilarious stories and create new ones since they got me hooked on this hilarious Canadian show called Trailer Park Boys. It's not for everyone but we get a kick out of it.

I don't even have my grade 10….

As I sat in the airport with all the other people obviously going back to California (see Beats headphones, strategically placed knee-holes in their jeans, questions to the other passengers about how the Dodgers and/or Giants are doing), I realized how big the world the world really is and that I really, really need to travel more. Lesson learned - go see your buddies damnit! And that is your PSA for today.

May In A Recap - I Choo-Choo Choose…money

Most of my success in my post-college life has come from seizing opportunities that many people can't due to various reasons (family constraints, laziness, lack of talent). This has allowed me to travel (New York and D.C), pay off my mountain of student loans and develop a reputation in my industry for being a quick, efficient, no-bullshit producer of high-quality work. Since my breakup, I've been throwing myself into my work as a distraction technique and it's been working fabulously. However, I forgot to factor in that when you say yes to almost every project, you find it hard to say no to much else. In a nutshell, this is where I've been for the past month:

Work:
A co-worker had an immediate family member die and had to take a month off of work (don't ask, it's a Filipino thing and I don't know enough about their culture to surmise a guess). I stepped up to take over her desk until mid-June along with my mountain of other work that I help the rest of my team with. This gave me the opportunity for unlimited overtime and I would be an idiot not to take it. 12-14 hour days for 3 weeks straight begins to warp your mind but at the same time, puts you in a routine that is very comforting and productive. I didn't get the best sleep but I helped out someone who may have lost their job if I hadn't stepped in (no way was my company going to allow anyone to take a month off for any reason). I made money and did a good thing. I'm ok with this decision.

Bay to Breakers:
Like many past yearly festivals in San Francisco (the non-defunct Halloween in the Castro, the scaled down Love Parade - awkwardly renamed LoveFest and now held in Oakland for some reason), Bay to Breakers used to be a lot cooler. It is technically a 12k race but it is also open to anyone who wants to drink and wear costumes or jog buck-naked with a squirrel on their shoulder (I have seen this live!) while taking pictures at various San Francisco institutions. Unfortunately(?), the city got tired of cleaning up after the drunks and fielding complaints from angry neighbors that people were peeing on the prized magnolias in their yard. So last year they cracked the hell down and banned alcohol, drugs and people who didn't technically pay to be in the race. I'd like to say that it helped but I still had to walk over a couple passed out guys in togas the Monday after the race on my way to work.

Normally, I wouldn't bother with doing this event in it's current sad state (also see Burning Man) but my friend Ashley is running it this year and I want to support her. She and her friend Justine dressed up as Mario and Toad (they were meeting Luigi later) and actually ran the race. I ooh them downtown but it was 7 am and after our night of drinking, I couldn't hold my head up much longer and took the train home for a nap. Next thing I know, It's 11 am - Ashley and her friends are done with the race and I was supposed to meet Zoe along the trail. Yes, I slept through Bay to Breakers. You can call me old, I'll accept the criticism with grace because you are right - it was a very old fogey thing to do. Next year I'm running it (although Ash and the gang realized running it isn't the point, drinking and mayhem along the way is), I'll be in tip-top shape by then.

Pittsburgh, PA:
Needs it's own post. :)

That's pretty much why I haven't written very much. I'm luckily to be caught up on Game of Thrones at this point in time.

Still, if I can hold on for another two weeks at work, I can begin to put myself back on a normal schedule that includes friends, activities and possibly dating. I'm planning for July to be an adventurous month. If you have any ideas for fun, put it in the comments below.

June Goals - Fun in Places Other than Here

I did the math (with and without alcohol), and I realized I won't be spending a weekend home for the next two months. I'm not going too crazy with my goals this month because I now know, I'm just not going to have the time. Still, at least I'm attempting something. 

Social:

• Take a trip to Chicago and see "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me" live. Chicago has always been on my list of places to go and I figured, what the hell? I'm hoping to get an autograph from Mo Rocca for Grandma Bobbie.

I'm such a nerd but I can't wait!

• Father's Day with Dad - in which we will be pruning bonsai trees and having a BBQ. I can get my zen on!
• Go to the El Dorado County Fair. Yep, my childhood fair that I have not gone to in 10 years. Luckily, this time I can walk around with a margarita! Maybe I can bribe my sister into going with me (and she won't throw ice cream at any jerks again).

Physical:

• Yoga once a week with Zoe - Both of our schedules really screwed this one up but we're willing to try again.
• 12,000 steps a day - I'm waiting for my pedometer to die so I can buy a Fit-Bit. I may as well wear the damn thing out for the sake of health.
• Down 10 lbs - I can do this. I got out my copy of Tim Ferriss' "The 4-Hour Body" which helped me the first time and I'm on the road again.
• Get my damn hair cut! - I'm not a girlie-girl, I love my long hair but it's just getting in the way.

Financial:

• Up my Roth IRA monthly contributions - I'm only putting in about 60% of what I should. I'd be happy getting this up to 75%.

Miscellaneous:

• Start taking more pictures. I wasn't very good at this in Pittsburgh and I really need to up my game for the various social and travel opportunities coming up. Not to mention, I'd like to decorate my walls with something.
• Go to Off the Grid! I have this one on here again because it pissed me off I couldn't squeeze it last time. I WILL get my Horchata Kettle Korn!

I'm coming back baby…just hold on!

May Goals - Recap

Wholly shit was this a whirlwind month! It started out with challenges and ended with old Nintendo games and fart jokes. If I hadn't become superwoman at work I could have done more but I stepped up for a good cause (more on that later).

Social:

• Go visit my buddies in Pittsburgh, PA - sometimes you just need to hang out with other people who still find Family Guy and fart humor funny. Don't judge me!! Done - SOOO much f'ing fun! I'm pissed I didn't do this years ago.
• Drive to Reno to spend some quality time with my cousin (this may be a carry-over to June goal based on time constraints). Fail - could not carve out the time
• Go to Off the Grid again. I miss food trucks and Horchata flavored Kettle Corn - maybe Tom will even get some next time. Fail - again, time constraints
• Host my friend Ashley and her friend for Bay to Breakers. Which pretty much means drinking, eating pancakes and watching people run in costumes. Done - such an awesome time spent with them. I just wish I wasn't too exhausted to run the race. Oh well, I'm on the list to go with them next year. And it's always a blast to spend time with Ashley!

Financial:

• Up the autopay on my car. Will have it paid by the end of next year - woo hoo! Done - ownership has it's perks baby
• Set up auto-transfers to savings - only have two accounts now to fill, more on that later. Done - set it and forget it!
• Pay the credit cards off. I got a little overzealous last month but that's ok, luckily I love ramen. Pass - my refusal to tap into my emergency fund left me about 90% of my way to the goal. Have a little roll-over to next month.

Physical:

• Finally going on a 3 day backpacking trip to Point Reyes. This will be a test of my endurance which I'm sad to say, has not improved as much as it should. I'll have a full recap on this in a couple of weeks. Done - I kicked this goal in the ass! But couldn't have done it without my awesome companions.
• Begin training in Couch to 5k. I am NOT a runner but I feel this unexplained need to start pushing my body beyond my comfort zone. Luckily, I have a few friends who have expressed an interest in doing a race with me. Sweet! Fail - the damn app sucks…ok, I just couldn't keep up.
• Up my gym time and yoga frequency. Zoe and I got our asses kicked in yoga the other night and with Tone being very busy and me stuck at work, the gym has been nonexistent in April. We're looking to change that (Tone has to get ready for bikini season after all), so we're looking at a 3x a week 1+ hour gym time, 2x a week yoga and running for me. Fail - I chose work and sleep over fitness this month.

Miscellaneous:

• Finish clean-up music project. Ever listen to your old mix-cd's (or tapes, I won't judge) and cringe? I had that experience when trying to relive the past 10 years of my life through music. It's time to clean these cd's up before they stop selling cd's anymore. It's a huge project but luckily I have roomie Tom to help (and cringe). Fail - iTunes sucks and I didn't have the energy to look for music burning software for Mac.
• Research cruises for the fall/winter. I still want to take a Caribean cruise before the end of the year. I said I'm gonna do it and damnit, this will happen! Pass - I have a preliminary idea of the trip I want but definitely need to sit down and hash it all out.
• Post here 2-3x a week. I promise, I'll get my humor writing back but first I need to get my actual writing chops back. Even good storytellers lose their way sometimes. Fail - turned out I needed sleep a hell of a lot more than I needed to write.

Even though I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, I pushed through the fog and tried. I'm not known for positivity (I'll leave that up to the Capn) but if there's one thing I learned this month it's the following: 

Push yourself farther than you think you go