Napa Valley Wine Auction

Here are some photos from the NVWA event we went to yesterday...



I have one of my wife and her friend with Oprah (yes, the empire), but maybe her empire will crush me for using the photo without her permission. Then again, she might just buy me a new BMW or something...

Random Nasty Thing:

A girl sitting next to me in class today was popping zits on her chest during class.

That even grosses me out...

Where I'm At part II

(standard issue apology for lame blogging inconsistencies)

It's been a long quarter. I'm tired. The last thing I want to do is take more classes, but the raw deal of it is, I get a week off, then get a normal quarter length class (10 weeks) in six. Not too thrilled about that, but I'm sure I'll live.

It'll be a nice summer though, once the class is over. I'm looking forward to working a few days a week, catching up on some computer games, grilling, and hanging out with Nik.


Speaking of Grills... (Ah, the drama)

So, at the beginning of the quarter, a couple of my buddies (Friends A & B for anonymity and simplicity) wanted to borrow our weber mini smokey joe. No problem, right? WRONG. Friend A has a brain fart and forgets where I live and grabs my neighbors grill, and brings it to friend B's house. They proceed to grill. Around 9pm, friend A sent an email to another, non-involved friend, asking what type of grill I had, thinking that maybe they'd snagged the wrong one (I only know this because I happened to see the email, I didn't go looking for it). The next morning, I get a text from Friend B, asking if my grill was still in my patio, which it obviously was.

So, that day we all got a good laugh out of it in class. Once the laughter died down, I asked Friend B, "Hey, you're gonna take it back and apologize, right?". He replied "Nah, I've been wanting a grill, so I think I'm just gonna keep it."

I'm not entirely sure what exactly went through my mind at that moment, but if I had to guess, it'd be some odd cross between "What the Fuck?!?!" and "Like Hell you are!" (Feel free to play magnetic poetry with those seven words) I think I was rather diplomatic about it, saying something in a non commanding tone, not being a jerk about it and trying to let it go.

But "Friend" B had to mess with me.

So, we're out in the vineyard like we always were on Tuesdays this quarter, and it's hot. I brought my own Nalgene and filled it with ice water, and left it near everyone else's stuff. Fuckface (aka Friend B) has the nerve to drink my water, smile at me while I do, and respond to my clearly angry "Dude! Do you mind????" with, "Nope." I didn't do anything that day, but I was kinda frosted by that.

The next day, I didn't say anything in class, but that evening I emailed him this:

(Friend B): Please take the grill back tomorrow, if you haven't already.

I waited until Thursday afternoon to call and check. Naturally he hadn't taken it back. In a short amount of time the conversation elevated to an argument. My problem was that they stole it. He argued that because they didn't mean to steal it, it wasn't stealing, just borrowing. Last I checked, when you go to the bank and "borrow" ten grand and don't give it back, or "borrow" someones car and do whatever the hell you want with it, they call it stealing, and toss your sorry ass in jail. Once I shot his first defense down, he argued that he was too busy to do it. Again, more BS; at most his house is 7 or 8 minutes away, and probably more like 5 door to door. Then he hung up on me (which is one of my major pet peeves).

I called him back and when he ignored my call, let his voicemail have it. I said it like I saw it: He was a coward refusing to do the right thing, that I always felt like I chose the people I call friends to be of good character and perhaps I had misjudged him, and that I loved him.

The next day, he asked for all the stuff he had loaned me back, and that he'd come get it when he brought the grill back. What a bitch move.

When he got his crap, we didn't say anything to each other. I almost wanted to just throw down and kick his ass, but he probably wouldn't have had the balls to fight, since he didn't have enough steel to knock on my neighbors door and explain the situation (which I did after I got off the phone with his voicemail, three days after the grill was "borrowed"). But my father always taught me to be the bigger person and not to stoop to anyone's level, so nothing went down.

The real gem of the situation came about when ex-Friend B, myself, and another non involved friend (but not the one from earlier) were sitting at a table studying for an exam. I was quiet, and the other two were chatting it up. The other dude told some story about his job where someone had stolen something from the company of semi-decent value. Ex-Friend B said in an astonished and completely serious tone:

"Wow. That's really fucked up."

Amen.

Where I'm At....

I realize posting has been sporadic, I will try and improve. Why I continue to write as if I have a substantial audience, I'm not sure. Anyhow...

Finals went very well, as did the winter quarter. Ended up with a 3.55 GPA, which if it isn't my highest, has to be damn close, so way to go me. Spring Break was rather abrupt, and we're back to the grind. I have to concede that I'm already a little burnt for this quarter. Maybe it's just leftover from last quarter - hopefully it will go well, and my stamina will return.

It's been a weird first week though...

It's Here... Part II

The other day that I spend all winter waiting for is the arrival of my Baseball-Prospectus. It's an awesome book, but for those who aren't into baseball, you'll just think it's stupid... It's mostly translated statistics, meaning they're put into complex formulas to try and level the playing field. Example: Player A hits .300 playing for the Rockies - 81 games at Coors Field (notorious hitter's park). Player B hits.290 for the Padres at PETCO park (strong pitcher's park). Who's the better hitter? Well, if these batting averages were put into the translation formulas, you'd get an EqA (Equivalent Average), and would know what they did in a neutral hitting environment. For the record, Player B would have a higher EqA. Again, for most of you, you don't care...

Ooooooo, I'm PISSED

While taking a study break from Biochemistry, good ol' wikipedia informed me that "24" won't be back on TV until 2009. In an article I found here, we're told that:

"Even though eight episodes for this season had already been filmed before the beginning of the writers strike, producers would have had to ramp up production soon to complete the season. So "24" represents this television season's most prominent casualty due to the writers strike. "

And that

"A January 2009 start seemed the best way to comply with viewers' wishes that a season's episodes run without interruption to conclusion, Fox said on Thursday."

Delay it a whole year? Comply with viewers' wishes? Yeah, I was totally wishing for that. Just because I'm a FAN of the show, doesn't mean I actually have a desire to watch it, or that I anticipate the start of a new season. No, no, no, no, that's crazy talk (just want to point out that hint of sarcasm there, in case you missed it).

I always looked forward to the start of the "24" season, just as I looked for other ways to make it through the winter until Spring Training started. So, the real reason they're delaying the season premiere (from that same article):

"If [FOX] had started airing new episodes soon, the season finale would not have taken place until the summer, when TV networks rarely show their high-profile programs."

I mean, honestly, does everything always have to be about money? I know it's FOX, so I shouldn't really be that surprised, but it still irks me. I have no problem with the writers strike itself; everybody is entitled to as much as they can get, and I think it's the networks fault for prolonging it. But what irks me more is that I know I'm gonna end up watching it next year, not because I have any sort of loyalty to the network or give a crap about their advertising revenues (which I certainly don't) or care for their political views (which I certainly despise), but simply because I'm a huge fan of the show, and I'd rather be entertained than miss out on something I enjoy simply to prove a point, especially when TV ratings are in millions of viewers.

It's Here...

Oh yes boys and girls, it's that time of the year again. The long cold nights are over, and we finally have that magical something to look forward to. In two weeks, we'll get to hear the voices of Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper filling the airwaves. My Baseball-Prospectus is in the mail, the local batting cages open this weekend, and I can't wait to get my glove out and see what kind of shape my Sinker is in, and if my Slider still has that nasty break.

Thank God for Baseball: Pitchers and Catchers have reported.

And remember, TINSTAAPP, but there is Timmy.

Keep to the Code Part II

Not that I'm really into sequels, but this will be fast.

So, last year, I touched on keeping to the code in men's bathrooms here. For the record, that post was also way before that Senator got arrested for doing something ELSE in the bathroom, but I digress. To continue the theme of male social awkwardness, I bring up the topic of a phone number exchange.

It's just really weird to ask another dude for his phone number.There might be a perfectly legitimate reason for it; getting together of UFC fight night, study sessions for our disorganized and heavily biased Vine Physiology class, playing some Racquetball, etc. But you can't just outright ask for the number. There has to be some kind of reasoning behind it.

So, here are some examples of how it might work:

"Hey, do I have your number?"

That would never work on a woman. They know exactly to whom and when they give their number out - you'd be shot down in a glorious blaze of smoke and shrapnel. But us, we're stupid enough or so scattered with our memories that, "Oh, crap, I thought I did." Well of course we thought we did; we can't remember what we had for lunch three days ago, let alone the details of a conversation that was last year?

"Alright, so I'll call you about the ___________. Let me get your number."

Obviously this scenario would imply some social familiarity with the guy. Maybe you were gonna help him out ... fixing his car or brewing some beer over the weekend. Maybe you were proximal friends - your spouse is friends with his girlfriend or something - and it's suggested that you hang out. Chances are you'll end up getting along fine, but again, the number thing is weird.

"Hey, let me get your number, we'll hang out."

This one's probably the worst. Obviously the guy who is asking is enthusiastic about grabbing a beer or something. But what about the other guy? He can't exactly say "No thanks man", because that would be brutally impolite (though I know a couple of guys who wouldn't care about the manners and would say it anyway). So then, he's stuck with a guy who has his number but he has no desire to socialize with.

And then it ends up like that Seinfeld episode where Jerry can't get rid of the guy, and after he attempts to "break up" with him, ends up getting guilt tripped out of his Knicks tickets.


And for the above reasons, Business Cards were invented...

Grumpy Part III

OK, so maybe this is just getting old, or maybe I'm becoming bitter in my old age (I'm almost 25). I've been a real jerk on three different occasions this week.

1. Biochemistry. I was a little later than I usually am to the class, meaning I walked in as the professor started. I found a seat in the back with a couple other people from the Viticulture & Enology department (henceforth referred to as VEN), sitting next to one guy in particular who I'll just call "Dude". So, here were five "kids" sitting in front of us, who were stealing each other's notebooks, writing notes, re-stealing them and giggling. This went on for about 10 minutes. We have a mid-term coming up. Dude and I looked at each other and figured it was time to teach a life lesson. Dude led off by grabbing two of their shoulders and saying, "You wanna quit fucking around? It's starting to piss me off." Not to leave my 2 cents sitting in my pocket, I followed up with, "It's much cheaper to pass notes in High School."

2. Later that day, Dude and I were in another class that we share. A kid in front of us thought it would be a good idea to bring a box of cereal to class. Seriously, it took him 5 minutes to open the damn thing - during class - and the teacher doesn't speak that loud either. Grumpy here asked "Kid, you think you can do that any louder?!?" Kid replied, "uh... Sorry man." Dude was sitting next to me, cracking up silently.

3. We have these neighbors who have this annoying puffy little yap dog that NEVER shuts up. They also had a sign on their front gate that proclaimed "Bitch Boulevard" until the wind mercilessly blew it down a couple weeks ago. Damn dog was barking up a storm during my lunch, so I went over and in my low blood sugared state asked the dog owner to do something about it. "It's a dog, it barks. Why do you care?" she told me. I told her "Not all dogs bark as often or as annoying as that one, and it's ruining my lunch."

Maybe I'm just stressing about mid-terms next week. Maybe I'm a jerk. Maybe little things just bug the crap out of me for some reason. Maybe it's somewhere in between, but at this point, I'm not going to worry about it anymore.

I mean, I try to treat others like I would like to be treated. But in my mind, if I was jerking around during class disrupting everyone around me, making noise opening a box of cereal or letting my annoying ass dog bark all afternoon, someone would be well within their rights to hit me with a little common courtesy, which I would deserve at that point.

State of the Union

In watching the telecast of President Bush's final address to the combined houses of Congress, a few things crossed my mind:

- It KILLS me when he says the word Nuclear. He pronounces it "Nuke-U-Ler", and we all know it's more like "Nu-Clear". A world leader having a less than firm grasp around his first language is rather discouraging...

- The speech was more of the same. I have no hard evidence, but I'm sure that many, if not all, of the statistics he presented on his behalf were manipulated to illustrate the point the was trying to make. The whole thing was loaded with hotwords (Liberty, Freedom, Terror, the obligatory 9/11 reference).

- He spent about a minute (total) on Immigration and Education, and most of it was bumping his chest about No Child Left Behind (but many schools).

I am really not going to miss seeing him speak in public ever again. His poor decisions behind the big desk aside, he's simply a horrible public speaker. He slurs his words, misreads the teleprompter and his posture is cavalier at best. With only 357 days left until someone else is sworn in, let's hope his Lame Duck-ness prevents him from digging a deeper hole for us all to climb out of. His track record indicates that when faced with a logical course of action or an illogical one, he'll choose the latter without hesitation.

*Sigh*

Super Tuesday

Not that it should really matter, but I voted for an African-American man for President yesterday.

I also saw former President Bill Clinton speak on behalf of Hillary's campaign last week.

As captivating as Clinton was in person (which made me want to vote for him, not his wife), I still have my serious doubts about Hillary. When I hear Obama speak, I can't help but feel like maybe this country isn't as messed up as it seems. Maybe we can get it right and elect someone who can make a difference in our world. This is only my second Presidential cycle (I was 3 months too young to vote in 2000), so I can't say that this on means more or that I'm most passionate about this one, simply because of the small sample size.

But I care more than I did in '04. I don't think it has anything to do with my age, but Kerry wasn't that captivating. Sure, he was the (arguably) the best candidate that year, but he didn't make me care like Obama does. If he loses to Hillary (no disrespect to Edwards, but thanks for giving it a shot), I'm going to be crushed. I'd vote for her in November, but it would be my hatred of current Republican policy guiding my vote more than belief in her ability to lead our nation.

He makes promises of change, and a new dynamic for legislation in Washington. Maybe he can do it. But what if he doesn't? If he has to give in and deal with the lobbyists, he becomes just another politician. At that worst case scenario, he and Hillary are equally interchangeable. But their respective ceilings are much higher. If she won it all and lived up to everything her supporters believe, she would probably be a good President.

I believe that if Obama did the same, he would be a great President.

I Suck Too; Maybe I'm Just Grumpy

Yeah, I know it's been DAYS since I posted last, hence the title.

Updates: We live in wonderful Davis, CA. It's actually a pretty cool town, but not like home. Got a real nice condo out here. Just celebrated our first anniversary. I've got a job at a high end kitchen retailer in Sacramento (your choices are rather limited, and it's got nothing to do with a Table).

Now: What compelled me to post.

I am so sick of seeing all these college girls running around campus with their honking big sunglasses, their designer bags (or at least expensive knock-offs) and these damn UGG slippers. For those of you who don't know, they're these sheepskin boots that come up to about mid calf, and are quite unattractive and not flattering at all (just go google them, you'll get it). I know I can't exactly avoid college age people at a major university, but it's starting to get to me. The slippers probably get me the most; Davis isn't even that cold. If this were Fargo, ND I would understand, or maybe some place where the weather is constantly ugly like Seattle. But here? It was 58 and partly cloudy today (actually a gorgeous day), and plenty of leather slippers.

Not that the Guys aren't offenders as well. Most of them roll out of bed, hose themselves off with some sort of "Manly" body spray and come to class. The problem is, I can smell homeboy from 10 rows back and end up with a headache while he tries in vain to hook up with the girl next to him (and she's prolly got huge sunglasses in her expensive bag that's sitting next to her stupid UGG slippers).

Finally, people around here are such bad Pedestrians. Forget driving or riding a bike. They find ways to stand in the most inconvenient places and chit chat with their friends. Unlike them, I (unfortunately) have somewhere to go, and actually plan on getting there sometime today. And going back to the bike thing, You really don't want to know how many kids (yes, kids) I've seen with one hand on the handlebar and another holding the phone (most of the offenders happen to be wearing those damn slippers too). I mean, c'mon, at least get a Bluetooth - hands free would really have it's advantages on a BIKE. I'm sure that one of these days I'm gonna get blindsided by a moccasin wearing, bug eyed biker on a cell phone and it'll cost me an ACL and 3 months on my feet.

Makes me think that I'm either:
A. That much more mature than most all of the students here, and it's unreasonable to expect them to conduct themselves as I would.
OR
B. I'm out of touch with people 5 years younger than me and I'm just getting old and grumpy.

Welcome to the College Experience of the late 2000's.