Lots of updates! Actually not that many, because I haven't done much but work and run.  Work is busy but fine, SF is sunny but cold, running was hard but I'm done! I went to Philly/NJ/NY over thanksgiving week to run the Philly Marathon and then bum around at other people's places and eat their food.  And I was promptly reminded why I kept resisting settling down in the East Coast ... because it is so effing cold that it's practically unlivable.  It's just ... terrible and unnecessary. 

Anyway, my first stop was Philly and did some carb loading and drinking to prep for the big race.  Yum! We tried to make the requisite stop at New Deck, but they didnt let me in!! They (the same bouncer that has let me in since 2004) didnt "feel comfortable" that my drivers license was legit!  I am OBVIOUSLY older than 21, and p.s. buddy-o, this was the same drivers license you checked before.  The same one that I have gotten legit speeding tickets with.  Ridiculous. Anyway, we had a GREAT time at Mad4, no help to the clowns at New Deck.  STOP SMOKING CRACK, JAGGEDY TOOTHED BOUNCER!

The race went well, I was in serious pain the last half and had visions of dying and rolling into the Schuykill river, but I managed to finish with a decent time even though I couldnt walk for the next two days. It was pretty huge for me, but I think it's going to be awhile before I start running again.  In the meantime I think I'm going to take up Yoga.  Couch Yoga.  in front of the tv.  stretching my belly.  with food.  And now if anyone ever has any complaints about me being a lazy-ass, I can always say, well did you run 26.2 miles? then I guess you can go shut your face now.  And yes, I get to say that for the rest of my life. But seriously, it was really awesome to run through Philadelphia and focus on the good memories and changing leaves and beautiful scenary, as opposed to the agonizing pain shooting through my whole body.  Here's a picture of me with the aluminum cape and medal.  with Denise's dog. Just because ... hey why not? 

I stayed over at the Siu household for thanksgiving, where they fed me with the Siu version of thanksgiving, which involves soy sauce marinated turkey , playing Dutch Blitz, and restraining myself from making snipy comments to the spoiled 3rd grader, such as no YOURE stupid and YOU laugh funny!  Fun!  

I saw my old roommates from-that-time-i-lived-in-jersey-but-black-out-of-my-memories, and we pretty much ...ate. a lot of food.  And even though almost everybody in the program has quit by now, or is in jail for identity theft, or is married with five kids, I miss all those crazy people. 

Anyway, so it was quite an action packed week. and now I'm back at work, and life is pretty steady.  My work just had a holiday party which was on the bay and it was pretty cool.  When I told my dad I was going, all he said was, "Ah! so all the boys will be drunk and you can take advantage of them!" Thanks for the advice.  I am going to London/Paris with my dad over christmas, and if we dont kill each other or the other chinese tour members, it will be pretty cool.  if we dont kill each other.

So yes. that's my entry to make up for 5 months of nothing, so I'll check back in around May 08. 

I'm pretty much settled in San Francisco now. My apartment is bling. like jay-z hired martha stewart bling.  That's right. Imagine what you will. 

Here are some of the goings on and such.  Not that anyone hasn't seen these pictures already, since they're on facebook and Everybody is on facebook:

Me and the roomies at J&J prom.  As in, we graduated from the program, and we had prom. seriously. this is what big corporate bucks go toward.

Wine tasting, and then lolling around the picnic area with a man playing guitar and wine flowing like water. It's called heaven, folks.

Monterey Bay Aquarium.  This is my dad contemplating the meaninglessness of life as anchovies swim round and round a tank going nowhere.  Meanwhile, Lillian and I are poking sea urchins.  Fun!

Seattle.  And to the question you're asking in your head: because the unhappy chinese family picture never gets old. 

Here are some recommendations:

1. HARRY POTTER 7! SO GOOD! I literally shrieked and ripped the box out of the mailman's hand. and then spent my entire saturday reading it front to back. Totally the best weekend ever.

2. Hopefully all these links work.  If not, just buy the song from itunes, you cheap turd.

Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats

Tokyo Police Club - Lesson in Crime

Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the Experiment

3. Japanese TV! BEST YOUTUBE EVER.

4. Man v. Wild.  There is nothing sexier than a man drinking elephant poo juice.

5. Which leads me to try and think of the ultimate 8 person tournament of all time:

Luke Skywalker v. Jack Bauer v. King Leonidas of Sparta v. William Wallace v. Optimus Prime v. Jason Bourne v. Chuck Norris v. Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Just trying to figure out who would win is blowing my mind. 

 Here is San Francisco in Jello!

I'm moving out there in June, working at a newly acquired J&J company and living in the city! So life is now wrapping up in the jerse.  I had a fantastic weekend kicking off with the Killers concert on friday.  Here's my most favorite remix of Mr. Brightside.  Of course, the remix doesn't fully capture the kickass-ness of the show, but take my word for it. it was awesome.

Saturday was devoted to Amy's fabulous wedding. Normally these types of pictures make me barf, but this was just too cute.

Next week I'm running the 10 mile Broad St run in Philly.  Come out on Sunday if you want to see me collapsed in a gutter wheezing.  Actually don't.  Spare me my few shreds of dignity. 

And just because it's random, here's a picture my dad sent me:

And on that note ... Good bye New Jersey!

Back from Spain. A smashing trip! No thoughts about work, or future, or anything really, besides what we were doing today and tomorrow and how to annoy Lillian. 

Today I was shoveling the sidewalk.  All the snow had become pure ice, and I spent about two hours hacking away at ice with a huge shovel and came away with four blisters and a huge bruise on my knee.  And the inability to ever clench my fists ever again.  Now, whenever I rail against the heavens, it will just be with weakly bent wrists and clawed fingers. How anticlimatic! Anyway, I was hacking away at the snow as groups of jr highers passed by me smirking with their stupid faces, and I kept thinking in my head, two days ago I was in Spain. I was walking through palaces and beautiful gardens and drinking cafe con leche. I'm not here right now. This is just a terrible dream.  And even though I wanted to smack the kids face's, basically flopping my spaghetti limps at them, I decided to be the better person. because they probably never went to spain and probably never will. so HAH!

Here are some pictures. I don't feel like putting captions on them, but just trust me that they are in no particular order but are generally kind of funny.  If you want to see all 470 of them, you can go to Lillian's site.