Weekend

I forget sometimes how much fun weekends can be. Most are fairly unremarkable and pass rapidly (in approximately the same amount of time as my morning commute on Monday by my rough accounting). Since I have been working a lot of Saturdays lately, I haven't really had a weekend in the traditional sense for what seems like forever (but has really only been a few weeks now). The Saturday working schedule makes the weekends seem infinitely shorter even though it is only a half day, by in large because the work day starts in the early afternoon and ends at the cusp of the evening. Oftentimes I find it hard to motivate myself to accomplish much other than feeding myself and, if I have the gumption, exercising, before dragging myself downtown.

Additionally, my Friday evenings tend to be less than robust affairs. I am usually a complete and utter wreck on Friday nights because we start early on Friday.......6:45am. Those of you that know me well, know that I am scarcely a sentient being at that hour and, at the very least, should not be entrusted with sharp needles and assorted serums. It is a combination that I am fairly certain will lead to legal action at some point in the future. So, suffice to say, without a languid nap and then some liquid amphetamines ala Starbucks, I can reliably be found in or near the bed doing my best impression of a beached sea mammal around the time the evening news is wrapping up.

This weekend started off no different than any other. I got home, passed out on the couch petting our foster Wynn, and woke up groggy but rested some 60 minutes or so later. It was one of those delightful instances where instead of planning to curl up and slumber, sleep just overtakes you and you wake up disoriented and not at all cognizant of the passing of time. Somewhat refreshed, i determined to prod my endorphins into action by exercising which, in turn, woke me up. Then Tia decided that we should do all of our weekend cleaning that night (my life is a riotous party and this proves it! :), which at least did get it off the slate for the remainder of the weekend.

I began Saturday by revisiting with some old friends at the Pho restaurant that I ate at the week prior. This time I steered away from innards, but can't say I unequivacably succeeded in that regard (I will save the description for those weak of stomach, but suffice to say it wasn't run of the mill Americana though it was delicious!) It was so nice to see Josh and Jen and catch up, though we were cut a bit short because of the aforementioned work thing. Still, it was great to finally see them after my gall bladder, work, and life have prevented it from happening since my return. Plus, sometimes I think living in Wilsonville is almost as remote as living back in Rochester, as far away as we often seem to be from everyone and everything in the city proper. 20 miles seems almost like 200 when you are trying to plan something.......especially since having people come to Wilsonville does not allow for nearly as many activities, restaurants, etc as heading into Portland. It is like going to a friends house to play Nintendo vs going to an arcade. But, I digress.

After a pleasant lunch, I was off to work which was intensely hectic. Luckily Kelly and I remained sane during our first day sans Erica (I was on the brink at times I admit) and managed to plow through it. Afterwards I convinced her to join Tia, myself, Tia's parents and their neighbors at Hubers for happy hour. I am not a huge drinker, but I am not opposed to it in the slightest if given even the least provocation. And, I am helpless to resist when anyone deigns to offer up cheeseburgers, shrimp cocktails, and various other culinary delights for less than $2 to accompany said intoxicants. Add that to good company and you have a pretty good evening by all accounts.

After filling up on cheap food and expensive liquor, we headed up to Cacao (http://www.cacaodrinkchocolate.com/) which "celebrates chocolate in all its forms" according to its website. How can you argue against that? It was spectacular and crazily indulgant for just a few dollars. Its one of the reason why I love Portland......so many niche eatieries, and all of them so intriguing.

Tia and I finished out the weekend by heading out to Sushiland for some conveyor built raw eatables. I know they don't offer the highest quality, but the value and their delcious spicy but not too spicy orange hot sauce that tops their tempura asparagus and spicy tuna rolls is crazily addictive. And, for less than one Andrew Jackson, two can eat to their hearts content (proved you don't have a hankering for the $5 special plates that is). All in all, I am sure I put away some 10,000 calories, but I did so happily in highly enjoyable company. I am, of course as always, chagrined to see the fun end and the work week begin again..........but at least I know that another weekend is just around the bend.

Bizarre

I have to admit, much to my wife's chagrin, that I have been idolizing Andrew Zimmerman the host of Bizarre Foods(for a smattering of what he has eaten, check out the episode lists on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarre_Foods_with_Andrew_Zimmern). It isn't him per se, but his cavalier attitude towards the most seemingly repulsive foods that I find so captivating. How can he eat, with such equanimity, the things that repulsed so many people on shows like Fear Factor? I have watched him rave about the flavors and textures of animal parts that we would be reluctant to put into pet food. And yet, I find it all weirdly inspiring.

I have eaten my fair share of the less common culinary delicacies. I enjoy buffalo. I adore escargot. I like the taste of rabbit, though not the tiny bones. I am ambivalent about frog legs. I have eaten fried salted ants and chocolate ensconced grasshopper. I have consumed copious amounts of jellyfish. I have even eaten Spam. I have, however, barely grazed the surface. So, in an effort to broaden my horizons, we headed out to Vietnamese food the other evening.

I have eaten Vietnamese food on a number of occassions, but have largely shied away from the few less commonly eatn fare. This time I dove right in and ordered the following: Tái, Nạm, Gầu, Gân, Sách -Eye of round steak, well-done flank, fat brisket, soft tendon and honeycomb tripe with meatballs. I have to say that I have not had tendon or tripe before and the review is honestly mixed. While I enjoyed the tendon, it had an interesting texture that is difficult to explain and excellent flavor, the tripe (beef stomach) was less satisfactory. It had nothing to do with the flavor or the appearance (though is looks nothing like anything you would find in an American eatery), the texture was just too tough and chewy for my liking. Not sure if it was not cooked properly or if that is just how it is supposed to be. Either way, another check mark next to a few new foods. I am very interested to try even more. Now, if I can just get my wife to come along with.

Winter doldrums in the fall?

When is it acceptable to start feeling officially bummed out about the overall lack of sun? Is it too early to do so now?

I am already feeling the beginnings of the winter doldrums. It manifests with such rapidity and in such a manner as to be physically affecting as a flu. I dont know when (if) I will ever acclimate to the lack of sunshine. Even a few days without it seems to drive my energy and spirits down.

My job continues to go fairly well. Of course, nothing is perfect and you take the good parts with the bad ones. If I had my druthers (and an obscene amount of money) I wouldn't work at all except for whatever pursuits availed themselves to me on my tropical island paradise. However, since that seems highly unlikely to happen, I try to deal with the realities that I actually face. On one hand, I thoroughly enjoy my workmates and my boss and, for the most part, I like the job itself. On the other hand, the benefits are mediocre (even if I pony up the dough for the premium benefits) and sometimes I get frustrated by the lack of hours and, considering that we will be closed the week of Thanksgiving and the week of Christmas, it isn't likely the hours are going to be getting much better in the very near future either. It is a minor complaint of course......as those are times that I would prefer to have off anyway. However, I would much rather that time be paid instead of unpaid. Hopefully it levels out once the holiday season runs its course and the hours will be a bit more consistent.

Time for a drink.

Allergic to everything

Allergy testing is conducted in two parts, prick level and ID level. Prick level testing (aka scratch testing) involves plastic applicators with pointed edges that have been dipped in varying allergens. I tested positive to three things at that level: dogs, cockroaches, and dust. The second level of testing is intra-dermal (ID) and involves a small amount of each allergen that you did not test positive to injected under the surface of the skin. It feels and looks like a bug bite. I tested positive to most everything at this level, potentially even the needles themselves.

The next step is to get the serums made and start shots. Because of my testing, I would get all the allergens in my serum meaning a total of three bottles and a multitude of injections. Big fun! The good part is that it is covered while I work there. The bad part is that they take about 5 years. A long commitment. Should be an interesting ride. Might even get some epi when I anaphylax :)

Looks like the condo is a non-starter. The HOAs are ridiculously high and yet they manage to not have any money in reserve. What it means is that they raise the fees annually. Selling a place with fees over $400 monthly would severly limit our ability to turn it over in a few years. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Thankfully for us, the market continues to offer up opportunities. Something will be a good fit evenetually.

I had to write about a new show I am enamored with: Fringe. It is like a melding of the X-Files and CSI. I can totally geek out watching it. Check it out if you haven't yet. Also on Hulu (where I watch mostly).

Worth it?

Well, we are heading off to see another condo..........this one the cheapest place so far: $110K. The HOA fees are frighteningly high ($333/month), but at least they include cable, water, sewer, and garbage as well as the usual array of exterior maintenance. I am interested to see what, exactly, a house in this price range looks like though. My guess is that the pictures will not do it justice. I guess I will be pleasantly surprised if it doesn't include a hobo with a trash fire and all the copper stripped down for scrap.

I will post more after I see it. If you are interested here is the listing: http://www.johnlscott.com/propertydetail.aspx?GroupID=75182442&ListingID=32364741&Sort=0

Why cell phones are better

Sure, cell phones are kind of expensive, they force you to sign prohibitively long contracts with exorbitant cancellation fees, and the phones themselves may cause some sort of brain tumor, but all in all they are better than digital home phones by my estimation. We are now free of Verizon Fios with their god-awful service which included inconsistent internet connections, cable that seemed inclined to work inversely to our desire to watch something, and phone service akin to using a walkie-talkie in a cavern. After much fighting back and forth, buying a new phone, and doing everything short of prayer circles to make it work, we moved on to Comcast. Our service has been stellar............um, for about two weeks anyway. Now we have internet and cable, but they can't seem to get our phone to work. We were advised, again, to purchase another phone because they are certain that it is our equipment that isn't working. Of course, the phone works fine (even has 6.0 DECT technology.........which means about as much to me as the 'techroline' that comes in Shell gas). People can call us (though it is not a good connection), but we can't make outgoing calls as all of them go straight to Comcast (though never to a real person). Suffice to say, at this point a cell phone and a brain tumor seems preferrable.

Financial Advice

As a wedding gift, Tia and I have been receiving professional financial consultation. It has proven to be quite enlightening (due largely to the fact that we have proven to have less than a sophisticated knowledge of finances). Just today I learned the difference between types A, B, and C shares related to retirement accounts whereas, prior to the meeting, I didn't even realize that such a delineation existed at all. In fact, I only vaguely know what stocks are because of movies like Wall Street and high school economics projects involving fake money and stock purchases such as No Fear clothing and Harley Davidson motorcycles because that is all we were familiar with.

I also learned there are something like 15,000 funds you can choose from and they all perform differently, sometimes significantly so. On top of that, you have to decide how risk averse you are in your investments and evaluate your retirement goals in order to differentiate between conservative, moderate and high risk investing (has to do with the percentage of your money in equity vs. bonds), which only slightly reduces the number of choices. Kind of like going to the cereal aisle in the grocery store and not having a brand or even a type that you have a preference for beforehand.

It would be easier to pick out investments of course if you had, say, a lump sum of cash that you were just seeking a means of utilizing. Most of us (Tia and I included) don't have that luxury. Investment monies are monies not used for other things like paying down long term debt. In my youth (um, a few months ago before I started thinking about things like finances), I thought of finances simply: 'x' dollars come in, 'y' dollars are owed, 'z' equals the remainder of said dollars to be used or put into savings. Now I think about 'z' a lot more. How much should be allocated towards car loans vs. student loans (after all, student loan interest is deductible)? Should lump sums be paid? How much should be saved? Where should it be saved? What about retirement? Insurance? Rent vs. Buy? Roth IRA vs. 401K vs. wads of bills stuffed into couch cushions? How much cash reserve should be maintained in liquidity (3-6 months evidently)? Having someone to hold our hands through the process has been an enormous help.

What does all this mean............who knows as yet. We are finished putting our pieces in, now we await the final suggestions at our next meeting. One thing we were advised to do was refrain from purchasing a house. In order to do so safely (meaning having sufficient cash reserves in case the sky falls) and have sufficient down payment to secure a loan (a minimum of 10%, though ideally 20%) we would need to have roughly the accrued cash that Scrooge McDuck swims through at the beginning of every episode of Duck Tales. So, theoretically, if we found a $200K home, we would need a minimum of $20K plus closing costs ($5-6K) and enough to float us for 3-6 months should anything happen to one of our jobs (Lets say $15K for 6 months). Theoretically we would need a minimum of $40K and ideally $60K saved up before making a purchase. AS you might imagine, the whole rent vs. buy issue has been resolved.

In other news: We got another new kitten and our last one was just adopted. The new one is named Wynn and is a rabunctuous grey polydactyl (many toes).

Feeling sick this weekend. Both Tia and I have some sort of dry scratchy throat and I have acquired an annoying cough. I feel not great, but at the same time it seemingly refuses to take me down entirely. I would prefer to just have 24 hours of discomfort than this nagging nonsense.

My workmate Gena had her baby. Healthy and 9lbs plus. Work is going well, but it quite hectic since only Erica fully understands everything. I am less than 2 months in and Kelly is less than 3 weeks in, so there are a LOT of questions to be answered. Proves difficult on some of our busier days.

I need to grab something to eat and then lie slothfully about the house the remainder of this rainy Saturday. Hope everyone else is feeling much better than I.