Free Fallin'

So, I was talking to one of the doctoral candidates in our lab the other day, when I realized all of the sudden that the application deadline for grad school was the first of March! Oops. Well, I couldn't have applied anyway, since I needed this quarter's grades to even be considered.

It's sort of a relief to know that I need to be looking for a job now; the waiting and uncertainty was really starting to eat at me. I could be upset too, I suppose, that my roommates announced today that they'd rather live somewhere else next year (and had in fact found a place while I was gone this weekend) but all these factors together really make me about the freest I've ever been in my whole life. I've got no girlfriend, no established job, no school to return to in August, and no roommates for the fall. Now would be the time, if ever, to do something extreme, interesting or exciting.

Now, if I just knew what I wanted to do with all this unrestricted opportunity...

There's No Business Like Snow Business...

Going camping in the snow at Tahoe this weekend with the Troop; hope everyone has a good one!

Takin' Another Shot at the Scrapbook

I think you can begin to see what I mean about the previous room and this one being divided excusively by our fireplace. Although I really like having a hearth to read by, and plenty of bookshelves to spill my library into (Matt, c.f. this and previous post picture to discover why there is also an empty bookshelf in that photo...) and I've finally gotten all my furniture to match, I'm still not quite happy with this room.

Maybe it needs art on the walls or something?

'House This for a Start?

After talking with Jerid the other day, I realized that I have not yet shown any pictures which would give you any indication of the kind of house I am currently living in. Today's set starts us off in the, well, the Empty room. Our floor plan is kind of funky (maybe I'll APS a blueprint later) but, briefly, the front door and entry way opens into this 16'x 16' room. I might be ok calling it the living room, if we did not in fact have a large area on the other side of the fireplace where my TV and couches are. Call it what you want, I won't judge you.

Even after 6 months, we're still at a loss as what to do with the damn thing. Right now I'm using it as storage. Ideas that have been tossed around include a full corner bar, pool table, and, conveniently, nothing. Perhaps you have a suggestion?

Oh yeah, do you like how low our fence sits? Yeah, me neither. Although it is nice to know that that someone else on our block does the dishes...

Ok, I Really Almost Did Leave My Heart in San Fransisco!

I think it's worth mentioning a bit more about my impromptu expedition to Little Italy this weekend, because it is not often the case anymore that I get struck by these wierd sentimental moods.

I have only been to the City thrice; the previous two times were during the day. As I came over the Bay Bridge Saturday night, I saw the San Fransisco nighttime skyline for the very first time.

Amazing.

That's all I have to say. There was something so mesmerizing and surreal about how I felt when I saw it that I'm not even sure how to describe it in a way that does the experience justice. I do know that my sense of wonderment carried as I drove around the various streets to the previous mentioned Escapade, nearly rear ending SF natives and inadvertently driving down trolly car turnaround alleys while I gawked at the scenery and tried to ascertain just what the hell a blinking yellow light in the middle of an interestion street dominated by cable car rails was trying to persuade me to do.

There are so many aspects to a big city, so many subcultures that are completely outside the grasp of my imagination right now that I'm completely fascinated by the discovery they even exist.

I can't help but wonder how much of my life has been wasted away in complete ignorance of entirely different worlds just within driving distance of my comfort zone? What kind of person would I be today if I had gone to school at UCLA, UCSF, or even NYU? Would I enjoy the diversity, or would I feel more alienated than I already do where I am today?

I had decided then and there, that if I do not get into graduate school this next year that I have to move to a large city, at least for six months, because right now I don't think I could make it that long in such a chaotic place, and my world view is still so small, and that's just unacceptable.

I May Have Left My Heart in SF, But at Least I Got This Nifty Couch...

I'm apparently getting better and better at spotting deals on Craigslist. My most recent find? A perfectly good black leather couch from Ikea... for FREE. Supposedly, when you sit on it, you sink in a bit, which means that the bottom supports need to be reinforced with a couple of 2x4 boards, and it's as good as new. Apparently that was too much work for the previous owner...

Speaking of which, I really have to share with you guys how I actually came about with this phenomenal piece of furniture in my hands:

I arrive at the door of this woman's house ALONE, because I forgot that San Fransisco has more hills than Hank and Peggy's family reunion picnic, and that this meant that the home with the sofa would actually be on the second story of the building. If you've never seen this kind of arrangement before, basically the first floor is comprised of stairs at a 60 degree slope...

I immediately notice she's about 7-8 months pregnant. (Ok, I lied. I noticed she was really attractive, THEN I noticed she had a bun in the oven.) To make a long story short, Preggosaurus and I ended up moving this 6' couch, on end, down the narrow steep stairs that conveniently take a 180 degree turn about half way down. Somehow, we managed to get it out of the house, down the stairs to the porch, and into my truck (which was illegally parked in a one way alley blocking the exiting driveway) with only a few minor near catastrophes. I thought for sure that I was going to throw her on the back of the couch and carry them both to the street so this poor woman could drop her baby.

MORAL: Next time, spur of the moment drives to the Bay or not, I'm bringing a friend.