Meet "Rice A Roni": My San Franciscan Treat

This perhaps is not the best way to introduce the Love of my life to my family and friends, however, it is the best way to spread the word around. This was indeed a whirlwind romance. My dad has been encouraging me to try online dating for a while. So I did. Meet my San Fransiscan treat. I met him on a site similar to eHarmony but it was called FindyourLover.com. FindyouLover.com is more focused upon mail order husbands. I have to say that this site was a step above SugarDaddiesRUs.com and I didn't quite qualify for the CougarliciousCougarsSeekingCubs.com website either.

I took a trip to San Fransisco to meet him. I spent the weekend trying to see if him and I could connect. From the pics below you can see the chemistry.

**No animals were harmed in the snapping of these photos.

Top 10 Ways to Get Ahead During the Economic Downturn**: A New Economic Stimulus Program

With all the talk about Swine Flu the News coverage on the Economy has taken a swift decline. I know, I know that all of you think about it every day. There are so many ways that we can save during these tough times and ways to increase money making potential. See Below:

1) Steal the Ketchup packets from restaurants- It is amazing how much ketchup one person can consume. Seriously...we are talking about $2-20 dollars a month depending on the quality and quantity of ketchup.

2) Eat your roommates food-There are definite perks to having a roommate. One of the biggest cost of living on your own is buying food. There is always the Ramen option, but realistically, after freshman year of college...no one can look at Ramen the same. $100-300 per month.

3) Hookie Bob to work- I have always wondered what to do with my old Rollerblades. Driving to work is such a hassle and it consumes large amounts of gas. Just strap on the skates, and hold onto someones spoiler. Don't forget to wear proper protection....sunblock during the summer is a must. With the cost of insurance and gas you are looking at $100-$300 savings per month.

4) Recycle-I see many people in California who take advantage of the "pay for recyclables" programs. They are not afraid to dumpster dive for the plastic bottles. I really should try that. I could also pass the scent off as a new perfume. Supplemental income of $30-800 per month (even more if you include the savings in deodorant and perfume).

5) Stop Shaving- Razorblades cost a lot of money. As long as you don't mind the extra insulation in the summer this is a no brainer. $5-25 per month in savings.

6) Outsource your job- That is correct. Hire someone else for cheaper to do your job so that you can spend your time either dumpster diving for greater earnings on #4 or so that you can start a second job. Supplemental income of $1000-5000 per month.

7) Find a Sugar Daddy/Cougar- There will always be that significantly older person who is looking for a youngster to fulfill their desire to stay young. In this economy this can be beneficial for someone like me. Being single and not so picky I can definitely capitalize on this aspect. As long as you are willing to ignore the moral compass of exchanging your chance at love for materialistic support this could be a winner. We are not talking about just taking care of a few bills...we are talking about Creating a lifetime of security.

8) Start a New Business- It is never too late to start a new business. My coworkers and I began talking about this subject when they announced there would be layoffs at my company. I decided that if I were to loose my job I would definitely start a company. It would be titled..."Tacos and Hos" Imagine a taco truck and an RV parked next to each other. I would be the manager/pimp. I would help create the menu (including the combo platters; 1 Taco & 2 Hos, 3 Tacos & 3 Hos, etc.) We would also have Horchata and Whorechata. You get the Idea. Supplemental income $1,000,234 per year. (Yes, I have a proforma statement based on historical data to support that)

9) Cut back on the Shoe Obsession- Lets be honest. Shoes are really unnecessary. I triple dog dare anyone to walk around the next 3 weeks without shoes on.

10) Live in a Van down by the River- I have always wanted to own my own place. In California...this is my best chance. For what I pay in 2 months rent I could buy an awesome van with carpet inside. This would allow me to save nearly one whole paycheck from living expenses. It would make moving really easy. Just put the car in drive and go where the wind blows. As for hygiene...I will already have my new perfume and deodorant methods. As for friends...it wouldn't be too difficult to find those....My unshaven legs and armpits mixed with the bare feet, and recycling habits I could easily find some people who have been living in trees to play with. Also...throw in my new scents and I would easily blend into a pack of wolves.

Please keep in mind that these are merely suggestions and not all of them apply to my actual life...However, I may or may not have tried some aspects of #1, #2, #5, #7.

**As with any suggestion the cost savings and earning potentials realized depend solely on one's dedication to the economic stimulus program provided.

Attention! Attention!

Hello Blog Readers, I know that there has been a long hiatus from new material on the blog. Stay tuned...actual real postings to occur this week.

Ahhh...The beach

I have not written much since I moved. To be honest there has been some adjusting for me. I have been trying to understand my new job, getting use to working long days, and trying to figure out my social life in California. It has been a bitter-sweet experience.

Here are some pictures that I took at the beach. I think the beach is amazing. The atmoshpere there is really amazing. I have decided to share some of these moments with you. These pictures were taken at Redondo Beach. It is OK if you are jealous.






















I have been searching for apartments here and have found it difficult to find something in my price range that is not in the ghetto. I thought about renting one of those places and buying a huge dog that could rip someones face off. However, I decided that this would not be the best situation. I will probably end up staying in Torrance and commuting everyday. This is not the ideal but for now it might work. I still have some apartments to look at so we will see how that turns out.

As for work. I have been trying to get grounded there. I am finally starting to understand some of my responsibilites. I am getting use to the long days. Oh.. I have also officially sold my soul. I now have a blackberry for work. Right now it is not too busy but we will see what happens.

I will post some more amusing stories later.

Can I please experience The Price is Right??

There are a few things that must be done when moving. First you must pack up the belongings and figure a way to transport them the the new location. After this is said and done you must arrive at the new location. For me I was able to to do these phases rather well. However, upon arrival to California I learned that I must do a few more things. There have been several trips to Target. I have wandered around and learned some of the streets. I found the In and Out Burger and experimented with the flavor combinations there (including the secret menu). I found the Brazilian Grocery Store. I have found my work. Finally, I visited the the DMV.

The DMV was a rather dry place to be. I stood in line, to get a number, for nearly an hour. This would have been great if there were a guarantee of an amazing show or the prospect of free prizes. Instead, it was a mere number to allow me to wait in the plastic seats next to hundreds of other people hoping for their number to be called. That is right my prize was G103. I sensed a very dry atmosphere there. I didn't know what to think so I let my mind wander. Suddenly I thought...What if everyone had the excitement for their number to be called like those in the Price is Right audience...What if music started playing and lights started flashing. I highly considered screaming and jumping in the isles when I heard G103 over the system.

I sat in the plastic chairs for nearly 40 minutes imagining the scene in my head as though it was Price is Right. In my mind I saw a crowd with Signs and T-Shirts that were plastered with G103. At this point they had finally gotten to G90 and I heard some guy start saying....G93 G93 G93...really loud like it was "No Whammy..No Whammy...Stop". When they finally got to his number he jumped out of his chair and rejoiced then went to counter 14. Those around him gave him strange looks. However, It fit in perfect with my ongoing fantasy.

Many more numbers were called and eventually even mine was called. I approached my counter and thought about how the traffic at the DMV is similar to that at In and Out Burger. However, at the DMV the employees get to sit on chairs and at In and Out you are served quicker.

I was sent from line to line. As I waited for my picture to be taken I noticed the decorations around the DMV. This included 2 very notable pieces. The first was a poster that announced that you must have thumbs to get a license. I wanted to take a picture of the sign and post it on the blog but due to the security guard standing nearby I refrained. The second decoration that I noticed was a framed letter size sheet that cited the law for threatening DMV employees and noted the $10,000 fine.

I actually spoke with the lady who took my picture and my fingerprint and confronted her with the question about people who don't have thumbs. I think it caught her off guard. She looked at me strangely and gave me a very serious answer. I was hoping to at least crack a smile from her. I guess she didn't understand my weirdness.

Overall I have enjoyed my first week in LA. It has been a very lonely week. I have missed my friends. I have missed having people to chill with. There has been a lot to explore here and I have barely seen anything. Mostly I have resorted to watching TV this week.

Reconnecting

The weekend was full of great experiences. About half of my family came into Lafayette, I graduated from graduate school, and I was amazed by the friendships that I have. It was really great to have so much going on. At the same time I was extremely sleep deprived. I guess the sleep deprivation was needed to be the bad that gave me a greater appreciation for the great things. When I was younger I was able to function on 2 hours of sleep per night. However, I cannot do that anymore. Usually I need at least 6 hours to function, but for some reason my exhaustion did not ruin my ability to function and enjoy my family and friends.

I was able to spend some quality time with my sister Heather. She is my oldest sister so I have not really got to know her that well. Her life and my life are drastically different. However, over the 2 days she was here I learned so much about how we are similar. She is very realistic. She cares so much for her family. She is the type of person who gives of her time selflessly to ease others burdens. I really admire her even though she does snore. It was great to have her here and reconnect. I enjoyed taking her on the scenic route to show her the beauty of Indiana. I enjoyed helping her shop for things for her kids. I enjoyed spending time with her and learning more about her as a person.

When Sunday came around it was time to send most of my family on their way. Again this involved more sleep deprivation as they left early in the morning but I was happy to help them get to the airport, not because I wanted them to leave, but rather because i appreciated their visit so much. I appreciated that they had traveled so far to come see me despite how inconvenient it was for them. Sunday afternoon I headed to Chicago with my sister Maryann, her husband Chris, and my mom.

When I was a teenager I did not get along with my mom. Mostly because of the fact that I was stubborn, independent and I did not want her to meddle in my life. I thought that I was so self-sufficient that I did not need her for anything. I guess through all of this I neglected to realize the things that she did for me. I guess that I did not realize it until today how much she sacrificed as I was growing up.

My mom taught High School art and art history classes. Today I took her to the Art Institute of Chicago. As we were looking at the works of the impressionists she was brought to tears. She was so happy, excited, and grateful to have gone to the museum. For the first time she was able to see paintings up close that she had only seen before in books. I was able to be there as she experienced Rembrandt, Renoir, Seurat, Degas, Monet, Van Gogh, Manet, Delacroix, and other impressionists. It was a great experience for me to be at the museum with someone who truly understood art and the artists who created the works. Even more, it was great to understand a little more about my mom and the things she is passionate about.

I have been fortunate enough to see several art pieces throughout the world. I have been to wonderful museums such as the Louvre and the Museu d' Orsay additionally I have seen large collections and museums by Rembrandt, Picasso, and Rodin. Throughout my experiences at these museums I have always thought about my mom and how much I would like to show her the works. Today I got the opportunity. The opportunity was much more than showing her paintings. It was about making some of her dreams a reality. It was about finding some way to serve my mom to help me reconnect with her.

Driving for Doritos

With graduation approaching it is important to ensure that all required elements of graduation are present. In my case these include:

Cap and Gown (Done)

Completed Required Coursework (Done)

Paid Tuition and Bills (Done)

Pick up family from the airport (OK-will do)

I went to complete my graduation list at the airport today. I was intending to pick up my sister. It was raining on the drive so we were delayed a little at arriving at the airport. As the landing time approached I began to call my sisters cell phone. She did not answer. I assumed that she was still on the plane.

We arrived near the airport and got some gas. We bought a small back of Doritos, Zingers, and a snickers. I was happy that I was going to be able to see my sister. We waited for her to call my cell phone to tell me she landed. It was nearly an hour after her plane was suppose to land and we had not heard from her. We then decided to go to the baggage claim to see what was happening. We parked the car and entered the baggage claim. We were looking ferociously at the monitors that show the arrivals. I did not see a plane coming from Denver. My friend had not either. He kept asking me if I was sure that we got the date correctly. I kept replying "Yes".

I was starting to feel very confused and I called my sister's husband. He was very helpful in informing me that her flight was actually tomorrow. I must say that it was embarrassing. However, it reaffirmed that I should maybe be more careful to details. I thought about how I could brush this off as a dry-run or a practice of picking her up tomorrow.

I am glad that I can laugh at myself. Even though I have had a day full of emotional chaos, life took the opportunity to try and trick me. It is funny how often I trust myself and my knowledge more than confirming a simple itinerary in my inbox. I must say that even though all this happened I did have some great company along my journey to buy Doritos.