One of Those Days…

Today has been “one of those days.”  A sequence of bad luck events has left me feeling drained, irritable and downright angry.  First is the ongoing saga that started when a drunk moron passed out at the wheel of his car and backed into the passenger door of my (previously) beautiful Crossfire after a Coldplay concert.  I took my car in today after battling with insurance companies for the last week.  He was uninsured at the time the accident occurred; therefore I have to pay my $500 deductible to GEICO and GEICO will go after him to collect.  I estimate the probability of GEICO collecting any amount of money from this “Moises Garcia” to be less than five percent.  But GEICO assures me they will pursue him and use a collections agency.  If he doesn’t pay up, it will adversely affect his credit (allegedly).  It still doesn’t put the $500 back in my pocket.  Argh.

The other major contributor to my gloom today is the death of my Mac Book as I know it.  Yes, the hard drive crashed yesterday and instead of an Apple logo, I had a very sad circle with a line through it (similar to a “No Smoking” sign) pop up on the screen…and then nothing.  Goodbye pictures, iTunes library, resume, etc.  I think the last time I backed up was like eight months ago.  I switched to a Mac because I thought they were supposed to be more dependable.  When I asked the Apple worker what caused the crash, he noted, “It was made on Planet Earth.”  A very precise and very insightful answer to my question which made me feel so much better.  Argh squared.

After I get my Crossfire back (I am currently driving a bitchin’ Chevy Cobalt) – hopefully before the weekend, I have to take it in again to repair the damage done by the overworked lawyer that backed into the bumper as I was walking out to my sad Crossfire several Thursdays ago.  My poor car is bruised and beaten and actually was attacked by a flock of birds who apparently decided to drop off Thanksgiving dinner on it a couple of days ago.  I have never seen so much bird poop on a car in my life and I didn’t even park under a tree.

My wonderful roommate Sara is abandoning me to move in with her boyfriend Todd.  Although I am excited about inheriting the parking spot and no longer having to co-habitate with a cat, I am terrified of who might move in.  Sara is considerate, friendly, business savvy, kind and a joy to live with.  She doesn’t have late night parties and we don’t have a third roommate despite the fact that she has a serious boyfriend.  She is pretty much the perfect roommate.  I think the chances of me finding a roommate as cool as Sara are about as high as GEICO sending along the payments they collect from Moises Garcia.  Argh cubed.

And that concludes my whining session for the day.  Please don’t call the whaa-bulance.  I still have my health, my family, a good job and hope that my bad luck streak is up for the time being.

Supply and Demand; Quality vs. Quantity

The singles scene in San Diego is much improved from my old stomping grounds in Cincinnati.  In Cincinnati, people tend to marry their high school sweethearts and start popping out kids in their mid-20s.  Definitely not my life model but not too atypical for things in the Midwest.

Friday night I had an epiphany:  there are a ton of dudes in San Diego.  I met a friend out for some drinks in a part of downtown called Little Italy.  I walked in, looked around and realized that probably 75% of the population in the bar was male.  After thinking more about it, I realized that pretty much whenever I head out downtown, the odds are heavily in my favor.  My roommate's boyfriend jokingly calls it the "Man Diego" effect.  Penelope Trunk also pointed out this phenomenon in a recent blog post.  Check this link out:  http://creativeclass.typepad.com/thecreativityexchange/2007/04/the_singles_map.html

Summary findings from the map: very good to be a single female in Southern California; very good to be a single male in the New York/New Jersey area.

Clearly by relocating to Southern California, I have moved the supply of the single male population in my favor.  Then I started wondering: if there are so many more available single men out here, why haven't I found an abundance of good looking dating prospects yet?

  

This question was still swirling around in my mind when I went over to a co-worker's BBQ yesterday evening.  True to form, the party mix was probably two-thirds male to one-third female outside of the several couples at the party.  I looked around and concluded that several of the guys were pretty attractive.  Hmmm.  

As the party wore on and the drinks continued to flow, eventually the testosterone level began rising.  One guy, who happened to be quite an attractive lad, decided to put my co-worker's dog's shock collar on.  This shock collar is designed to administer a shock every time the dog barks.  So naturally, he started to bark to see how bad the shock was.  It drew a good chuckle from the majority of the crowd and, with the increased testosterone level, of course he encouraged the other males in the room to try it out.  When one protested, he used the fifth grade taunt of, "What's the matter, are you scared?"  Which of course got the other guy to try out the shock collar.

That's when I realized that although the supply of single males is now in my favor, it doesn't negate the fact that sheer volume doesn't translate into higher quality.  Perhaps this is further exacerbated by the fact that many people are drawn to Man Diego for the lifestyle.  Maybe the men that move to Southern California are the kinds of guys who prefer to hang out at the beach all day and then go to parties where they try on dog's shock collars to amuse their friends.  I will continue to explore and blog about this thesis as time goes on...

Back in the Saddle

I've officially ended my soccer-less streak.  I joined two new teams, a Thursday night Vavi team playing on a full 11 v. 11 field just outside downtown and a Sunday afternoon 7 v. 7 team playing at the Mission Valley YMCA.  Our first YMCA game was a bit rough and I was thinking maybe I shouldn't have come out of retirement.  However, Thursday's game was an improvement and our Vavi team is undefeated after having dominated the Booz-Allen team we played.  Okay, we didn't dominate the first half but we are a team of "free agents" that have never played together before, and we picked things up considerably in the second half.  Although the level is not quite where I'd like it to be, it's a start and hopefully things will be much improved by season's end.  The plan is to assemble a team from work and selectively augment it with strong players I find through these two leagues...we'll see if that pans out in a couple of months.

Keep Your Keys Away from the Crack...

Yesterday turned out to be a lovely morning in San Diego.  I woke up early and putzed around the apartment for a bit, keeping my fingers crossed that the clouds would clear up before I went for a run in Balboa Park.  I headed out around 10a and by the time I was wrapping up my run through the museums (I finished at the foot of the "Museum of Man"), it was beautiful - in the mid-60s and sunny.  I made it through eight miles at a slower pace than I was hoping for, but still not too shabby for having abandoned long distance running while I do aerobics six days a week with Debbie Siebers.  I was running at just about a nine minute mile pace.

I was relieved to get back to the apartment and chill out.  However, after finding rock star parking and getting into the elevator, I dropped my keys and they went right down the crack of the elevator.  This nearly brought me to immediate panic.  Having just run for over an hour, I was a bit more sedated than usual and I headed down to P3 to see if they were waiting at the bottom.  No such luck.  

I then proceeded immediately to the front desk of Icon to summon help from the doormen.  Luckily some very strong looking handyman was there as well and he volunteered to help me.  He turned off the elevator that swallowed my keys, and we rode down to the bottom of the other elevator.  Using a credit card, he pried open the doors to the closed elevator, then climbed inside and hopped on a ladder attached to the wall, climbing all the down to the floor of the room below the last elevator level.  He retrieved my keys, and I thanked him profusely.  He also informed me that if I would've had to call the elevator company (who apparently doesn't work on the weekends), they would have charged me $400 to recover the keys.  Good thing he was working...

Ugly Day in the Financial Markets

President Obama has done a great job of rallying previously apathetic Americans to get excited about politics. It is truly inspiring to see President Obama succeed and also get so many people energized about change in our great country. Unfortunately, the financial markets are not as exuberant about his leadership. Okay, it’s not fair to completely blame today’s market shellacking on Obama; however, it sure doesn’t start things off on the right foot. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down just over 4% at 7,949. The technical market analysts are probably ranting about the market breeching the psychologically critical 8,000 mark. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed for a large rally tomorrow (continuing through the rest of the week, month, year, etc.). A weekly close below 8,000 would really be a blow to investors’ psyche.

Not only did the public markets get a big smack today, but I also read just how dismal the IPO market was in 2008. A measly six companies went public in 2008, producing less than $500 million in total market value. Ouch and ouch on the performance of public and private equity markets. Hopefully things will get better soon. Otherwise, investors will be sticking all their money underneath their mattresses (where returns probably won’t be as bad as -35% annually). At least it’s not Monday…

The Return of Jack Bauer and 24

I’m not sure if any loyal blog followers are fans of the TV show 24, but I was previously a huge fan and kind of lost track after the first two or three seasons. I mean, seriously, how many bad days can one CTU agent have?

Although I can’t specifically point to what re-piqued my interest in the show, over the long weekend, I watched the first two episodes (both were double episodes, meaning four aggregate hours) of the new season of 24 and was fairly impressed. Jack Bauer is still a bad ass and the President of the United States is now a woman. As an aside, during one of the last seasons, I remember a family member of a friend commenting that 24 was completely unrealistic because it featured a black President. At the time I was forced to grit my teeth and hold back the comments that bubbled up in my mind. After the Obama election, I can now say, “touché,” or welcome to 2009 (slash the real world)!

At any rate, the new season of 24 thus far has been exciting and worth watching for those who like an action-packed drama filled with lots of chase scenes and close-ups of suspected double agents. Hopefully the rest of the season will continue to be as interesting and exciting.

Two Down, Four To Go

I have a newfound respect for aerobics bunnies. As previously blogged about, my sister introduced me to a six-week aerobics program. The first two weeks are a bit of an introduction called "Ramp It Up." Today, I moved onto the third week, where the program moves up to a workout called "Burn It Up." Ouch. The workout was difficult and I haven't been feeling great the past couple of days. I was a bit sick to my stomach and ended up laying down and conking out for three hours after the first day of "Burn It Up."

I am hoping this is a result of a touch of sickness but I have to say that the aerobics program is challenging (even for an ex-marathon runner/professional soccer player). Four more weeks of six days a week burning it up. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Splash Wine Lounge: Two Thumbs Up

Saturday afternoon I visited Banker's Hill and North Park with my pal Judy. Banker's Hill is just northeast of Gaslamp and offers a bit of a quieter urban feel than downtown. Plus you're just a hop, skip and a jump away from Balboa Park, which is a fantastic place to go for walks and runs, as well as catch a pick up a soccer game or head over to the nearby San Diego Zoo. If you're located in the right spot (such as Albatross Street), you have a fantastic view of the San Diego Bay. One drawback, however, is that the area is a little too quiet and doesn't offer as many coffee shops, restaurants, etc. to meet other young professionals.

North Park is adjacent to Hillcrest, just northeast of downtown. My roommate lived in North Park for a little while and described it as hipster and eclectic, with many cute restaurants and bars to check out. One of the girls I work with is an artist and her work is currently displayed at a place called Splash, which describes itself as a "Unique Wine Lounge."

After wandering around Banker's Hill Saturday afternoon, Judy and I decided to go check out Splash. We were not disappointed. The concept behind Splash is that rather than ordering an entire glass of wine, you put money on a wine card and you are able to order "just a splash" of a variety of wines. They have a large selection of reds, a decent selection of whites and the bar is elegantly decorated with exposed brick walls and cool Natalie Turegen artwork. I give Splash two thumbs up and recommend it as a place to check out.

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Solana Beach

Sunday I spent some time in Del Mar and Solana Beach. Although I'm a huge fan of Del Mar, I hadn't spent a ton of time in Solana Beach. After meeting a friend for lunch at Americana (one of my favorite breakfast spots) in Del Mar, I ventured up to Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach.

As the picture shows, it's a pretty amazing spot. A couple of weeks ago, I spent some time in the Solana Beach surf, getting my hiney kicked by the ocean. Sunday I elected to sightsee and stay on dry land. Another cool place to check out when visiting San Diego...

Posted via Pixelpipe.

iTunes and the Phantom Receipts

I upgraded to the iPhone about six months ago and have loved it. It is amazing to have a phone, tons of music, fast Internet, a quality camera and lots of cool applications on a phone. The applications are probably one of the best features on the iPhone. Last night for example, I was trying to figure out where to grab some grub. I didn't feel like straying too far from East Village, so I used Urban Spoon, locked in East Village and it gave me tons of interesting options. I ended up checking out a sushi place called Taka. Pretty good spot if you're looking for sushi in East Village (however, I still haven't been to Nobu right down by Hard Rock, which I hear is pretty tasty).

The biggest annoyance about the iPhone (other than the fact that it doesn't have a real live GPS like the BlackBerry offers) is that when you download a free application from the iTunes store, it sends you a receipt for $0.00. What's up with that? I understand the sending of a receipt if they charge your account for making an actual purchase, but I think Apple should immediately stop sending these phantom receipts...it crowds up my Gmail account with needless emails. I would drop Steve Jobs an email, but it sounds like he has bigger issues to deal with at the moment...

A Rough Sports Sunday (and a Slacker Fan)

This Sunday was quite rough for my sports teams.  I have decided that I am officially a Chargers fan, even after being a resident of San Diego for only five months.  Unlike the Bengals, I've not heard of any Chargers being arrested (especially with their own jersey on, Chris Henry), nor have I heard of anyone on the team demanding a name change (Chad Ochocinco).  Further, the bickering on the team, if there is any, does not make sports headlines.  These developments are all a big step up from the Bengals.  And an even bigger plus…the Chargers' colors are awesome!  I will always be a sucker for Carolina blue.  Unfortunately their season came to an end this Sunday, as they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The game started out well for the Chargers but did not end well.

In another blast to my sports teams, the mighty mighty Tar Heels lost their second game in a row (in the ACC too, adding insult to injury) to Wake Forest.  Tyler was something like three for 12 from the field.  Ouch.

Though sad, I have to admit I didn't watch the games.  It was 78 and sunny in San Diego yesterday.  I went for a run in the morning, took a mini-nap on the couch and watched the end of the Eagles/Giants game.  After a few minutes of the Chargers/Steelers and catching up with Ma and Pa on the phone, I felt guilty about being inside on such a wonderful day.  So I decided to join the San Diego Zoo and go hang out with the animals for a bit.  More to come on that in my next post.

Surfing Update

Not to sound conceited, but I am typically really good at sports.  They're my thing…I played collegiate and professional soccer, ran track and played basketball in high school, have run three marathons and several half marathons and have successfully picked up tennis, racquetball, golf, skiing, etc.  I am really not intimated about playing any sport.  

With this background, I figured that when I tried surfing, it might be a little rough at first, but then I would go on to be – in the worst case scenario – at least a decent surfer.  Saturday morning I went out to La Jolla Shores, where the waves were decent but not overwhelming like last week's waves at Solana Beach, to continue to improve my surfing skills.  Unfortunately I was slow to get in the water because the zipper on my wetsuit was stuck.  It was stuck so badly, I flagged down a stranger to get some help.  Neither he nor his sister could get the zipper to start, so then I had to take my wetsuit almost completely off and fix the zipper.  For those of you who've never put a wetsuit on, this is quite a frustrating task.  I decided not to hike all the way up to the bathroom with the longboard and stood right on the beach dealing with the dilemma. 

I finally got the zipper started and my wetsuit all done up and ready to go.  I went out in the ocean and stood in the water for a bit, waiting for my body to adjust to the freezing water.  Even with a 4mm wetsuit, it was still cold.  I was able to paddle out, no problem and then sat on my board, looked around and decided to just go for it.  A couple of waves passed me by, and I ended up turtle rolling under a large wave.  When the wave hit me, I realized that this really wasn't fun and I was already exhausted from the "Ramp It Up" session and run earlier in the morning. 

 

As I decided to head to the beach after probably 20 minutes in the water, it occurred to me that maybe surfing just isn't my thing.  I am frustrated and want it to be fun already.  I'm not saying I'm quitting yet but my enthusiasm level has waned considerably.  Next time I surf, I need to not work out before hand and make sure surfing conditions are good.  To be continued…

 

The Bloodhound

I was at a party Saturday night at a friend's apartment complex.  The party was outside in the "7th Inning Lounge," which includes an indoor area with a bar, kitchen and flat screen TV, as well as a large outdoor area with several fire pits and a great view of PETCO Park.  I was gathered with some friends chatting around a fire pit and it was a bit breezy outside.  One of the guys I was chatting with asked if I was wearing light blue.  I replied that no, actually my jacket was purple.  In my head I was thinking this guy must be color blind; he should have at least guessed navy.  Then he said, "No I mean 'Light Blue' by Dolce & Gabbana, the fragrance."  Which I was wearing (but only two squirts).  I then asked him if he had any bloodhound in his family line and we had a good chuckle.

Although I was impressed that he picked up the scent so easily, I can also pick up Georgio Armani's Acqua di Gio like a bloodhound.  Anyone else have any perfumes/colognes they can smell a mile away?

One Down, Five to Go

My brilliant little sister Alicia introduced me to a new fitness program that is a six days a week, six week program.  The first two weeks are a bit of an introduction/warm up (cleverly called "Ramp It Up") and the next four weeks are the tougher, nitty gritty part of the program ("Burn It Up").  At first I was a bit skeptical and thought this wasn't going to be too tough.  However, even the Ramp It Up sessions – which are about 50 minutes long – have been a challenge.  The program works muscles I haven't worked in a really long time and requires constant movement. 

After this morning's workout, I've officially made it through "Week One" of a six week program.  My assistant college soccer coach Bill Palladino (aka Dino) used to cruelly call out, "One down, nine to go," after our first 120 or cone.  Our grueling fitness sessions required 10 reps of these 120s or cones.  So in a shout out to Dino, one down, five to go in my aerobics program.  But hey, you gotta start somewhere.

My Car is a Heat Sinking Missile...

...for attracting other cars to hit it. Earlier I blogged about being hit by a drunk driver after the Coldplay concert up in Anaheim. After backing into my car, he claimed he didn't hit me and then tried to run, but couldn't run because the parking lot was all jammed up with people trying to leave. I called 911 and reported the incident and a couple of days later had to make a three hour round trip drive up to Anaheim to report the incident with their police department. After all this stress and hassle, the Anaheim police still haven't found the person whose license plate I called in. This incident will be continued on the blog...

With that as a preface, Thursday night around 7p I was walking out to my car in the garage of our office building. I saw a light blue Camry pulling out. The car kept going and going, and I thought to myself, "That car is going to hit me." And, yes, a solid month after the Crossfire took a beating from a Tercel, the Camry did a number on my bumper. The woman was very apologetic and kind, so at least this damage can be fixed ASAP, but it is still an annoyance. And my poor car is apparently a red-headed stepchild. Ugh!

A Confession

I have a confession to make.  Yes, a deep, dirty secret that only my roommate knows about.  Here it is (brace yourself): I love listening to Britney Spears, especially when I am working out (shudder).  I can't help it and I can't deny it.  

My wise younger sister introduced me to a new workout program called "Slim in 6" featuring Debbie Siebers.  This workout involves 2 days of "Start It Up," followed by 4 days and 1 week of "Ramp It Up," and finishes with 4 weeks of "Burn It Up."  I am currently in the "Ramp It Up" phase, which is an all-body 48 minute aerobic workout.  I make myself get up and do it in the morning, or else I know I won't do it at all.  However, when the alarm goes off at 5:30a, I am typically not too excited to "Ramp It Up" with Debbie and the gang...

Then enter Britney Spears.  I blast my iPod with "Blackout," her second newest album (I don't have "Circus"), turn on the aerobics DVD on my 47" LCD and work out in my tiny living room, which is all glass by the way.  I think I'm starting to scare the bums in the abandoned lot our living room overlooks.  However, when I hear "Gimme More" or "Break the Ice" my adrenaline gets a nice burst and I am really ready to "Ramp It Up."  Thank you, Britney.

If You Think You're Having a Bad Day...

...it could be worse.  I typically try to generate my own content on this blog, but the link below, which was forwarded to me by a colleague, made me laugh out loud (and very loudly!).  Good thing he was only stuck up there for seven minutes; I imagine shortly after is when the frostbite starts to set in.  Given the humiliation factor, I bet the seven minutes seemed like seven hours...

Find the story at: (www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0106091vail1.html).

My New Favorite Song...

...is "You Don't Know Me" by Ben Folds, featuring Regina Spektor.  It is quite a catchy tune that I haven't been able to get out of my head since my fabulous little sister Alicia introduced me to it over Christmas break.  Outstanding.  Check it out when you have a chance.

Ch-Ch-Check Out M Bod's Blog

I am happy to pass along another interesting blog to all of my (three) avid readers - "From Beantown to the Hills" (marissabod.blogspot.com), authored by none other than Marissa Bodnar (M Bod).  Marissa Bodnar and the entire Bodnar family were my Cincinnati family after the DePlatchett clan abandoned me in Cincy in order for the Budman to start his new job with Ciba Specialty Chemicals in Virginia.  I had the pleasure of coaching Marissa for two years when she played with the Cincinnati Classics Hammer.  She went on to play soccer at UNC-Greensboro and transferred to Northeastern in Boston.  

M Bod has moved out to L.A. for an internship with the Ellen Degeneres Show.  In the worst economic environment since The Great Depression, M Bod has managed to get herself some incredible working experience.  Way to go M Bod and we'll keep an eye on you via your blog. 

Holidays + Work Project = Slacking on the Blog

Hello friends and family!  First, I must apologize.  My sister reminded me today that I have been quite a slacker on the blog.  This is definitely not the tone I want to set with the New Year.  However, while vacationing with my family in Smithfield, Virginia, I spent most of my time relaxing, watching movies and trying to beat our young neighbors at Wii (Bryson and Baylor are 6 and 4, respectively).  Needless to say, it was great to have a break from work and just spend some quality time with the family.  I really miss spending time with them and coming home to two happy dogs...

When I returned to San Diego (after miraculously not getting delayed in the airport even with several connecting flights), I immediately launched myself into finishing a work project with a time sensitive deadline that I had put off during the holidays.  All turned out well but last week was filled with hustling to get the project done on time.  I can now breathe a big sigh of relief and make sure I continue to post the latest happenings in the life of KD on the internet.

I learned a very valuable lesson yesterday: respect the ocean.  Actually, the title of my sad surfing experience yesterday should have probably been, "The Ocean Kicks Kristin's Ass."  Which is good, I guess.  Everyone needs a good butt kicking now and then to bring them back down to earth.  As I've blogged about before, I am in the process of learning how to surf.  My previous attempts have been largely in amiable conditions where the waves were small and relatively consistent.  Yesterday's session consisted of a constant pounding of large waves coupled with wicked winds.  Trying to paddle out with an 8'6" longboard in these conditions is not pleasant.  I spent about an hour trying to get out and then gave up.  To make matters worse, even carrying a longboard around with wind like that is horrible.  My board got blown over as I was taking the soft rack off my car downtown and now has a small ding.  It was a very sad day and my calves are aching from trying to brace against the waves yesterday.  Hopefully my next surfing experience will be more pleasant...