Author Archives: Pam

Full House Adventure

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My day started by taking the BART to Duboce Park.

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It was a B-E-A-utiful day in the park. I could have stayed here all day!

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But I didn’t. I had a mission. First stop, Alamo Square. (Sorry for the crappy picture.)

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Does this scene look familiar? This is where DJ, Stephanie and Michelle had a picnic with Danny, Uncle Jesse and Joey. Or it’s Alamo Square just across the street from the Painted Ladies.

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Hello pretty ladies, beautiful day! Again, I could have stayed here all day! But I had other things to do.

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Like find the real Full House house. And this is it – 1709 Broderick Street.

 

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Another shot. And yes, two people drove up to this home for photographs while I was there!

Full House Map

In hindsight, the route was definitely a tourist mistake. It’s fair to say that Alamo Park and the Full House house is at least 2 miles apart. And I walked the entire way….up and down the wonderful, not-flat streets of the city. I think I totaled 5 miles that day!

   January 19, 2013

Not in Indiana Anymore….

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There are many differences between life in Cali and life in Indiana.

California has much more sun than Indiana. People in California wear winter coats when it’s 50 degrees. It’s currently snowing in Indiana, expecting 6-10 inches, and I have my windows open.

But nothing compares to the shock I have experienced this week.

Bracketology? March Madness? Is anyone out there? Is this thing on?

Not everyone in California is unaware of the huge 68-team tournament going on. There were two gentlemen at work who had teams (St. Mary and Oregon) that they were following. My friends Amber and Greg filled out brackets. Other than that, nothing.

Let me share with you a few examples to illustrate the lack of excitement.

A conversation overheard Thursday at work:
Employee 1: Well, looks like St. Mary lost.
Employee 2: Why is the game on now? Why isn’t it on tonight so you can watch?
Employee 1: It’s the tournament. There are games all day.
Employee 2: Games all day? How big is this tournament?
Employee 1: I’m not sure but games are all day today and tomorrow.
Employee 2: Oh my goodness….that’s unbelievable.

Another example today:
Appleebee’s had 7 television screens in the bar. Two were turned off, two had poker, two had golf and the final had some talk show.

I was very homesick on Thursday and Friday. Seeing Facebook posts from my friends….getting into cabs at 11 a.m. (love my responsible friends) or taking off early from work for brewski’s and basketball. In my youth, I would take that Thursday and Friday off, cab to the bar, and sit with my friends with my brackets (typically 2) and highlighters (because I’m just cool like that), watch basketball, drink beverages, eat horrific bar food and make new friends based on your “picks”. Cheering for the underdogs, booing the referees, doing your best Dickey V impression – just truly loving the atmosphere.

I’m sure that if I would have used the term “bracket buster” in the office, someone would have thought we had broken a part!

I realize now just how much March Madness is a Midwest pastime. It’s almost as if I live in another country.

My brother asked me earlier today – “would you rather have March Madness and 10 inches of snow or the NCAA Tournament and 70 degree weather?” I chose the latter.

And I can guarantee, there will be an office pool for the 2014 March Madness! I plan on bringing a bit of my Hoosier Hysteria to the great state of California!

So, how’s your bracket? Gonzaga screw you too?

Bay Life…

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I’ve had a few Facebook notes or Twitter messages asking me how life is in The Bay. And since I’ve completely neglected my blog for the last month, I’ll write one very long post to fill you in. (FYI – I do have about 10 posts in my brain, on my computer and or on my phone – just not on my blog yet. )

My Condo
I absolutely adore my condo. It is PERFECT for me. Two bed, two bath, small galley kitchen, patio, single car garage, on the second floor, quiet neighbors, some kids but very well behaved…Perfect.

However, I am in need for furniture. I picked out a lovely sofa that turns into a bed at IKEA in Emeryville….that is no longer in stock. I may just get a regular sofa and a bed for my guest room and call it good. Add to my list – desk, chair, dining table, patio furniture, coffee/end tables, night stands – and I should be good. I’ve decided to do it piece by piece so I don’t go into massive debt like I have in the past.

My Job
My job is definitely an adjustment.

First, there is my schedule. It’s a 9/80 schedule which means I work 80 hours over 9 days and get every other Friday off. 4 day work weeks are lovely, 5 day work weeks are torture. Most days are 9 hour days, 10 if you add the lunch hour. I’m pretty worn out after a day at the office and it’s dark. So by 7 p.m., I just want my PJs.

I was very hesitant about being able to “do” the work. And I was wrong – I got this. I love Excel, I love numbers, I can analyze data, I can think creatively and problem solve – no worries.

However, the getting of the data is at times frustrating. For one, everything is saved in 14 different places on 2 different servers and managed by 6 different people. What’s current or accurate is a crap shoot. I’ve just made the problem worse by starting my own files, but I know they are accurate.

I  knew coming in that this was a new position for the company. I’d be working with engineers (who are very much like web developers) and the overall conciseness is that the cost of overhead is too high and guess what I am – overhead. There is even one lovely gentleman who told a finance coworker of mine that a computer could do her job. How’s that for respect? So, I’m in a new position, that very few people value (or even know what I do), working with engineers who don’t necessarily care about the budget, and in an industry that I have no experience. On a daily basis, I am trying to insert myself into engineers programs, get data and prove that I can be valuable to them – if I am utilized.

The other interesting aspect (watch out, I’m putting on my HR hat) is that there was very little introduction of me. In every place that I’ve worked or was the HR person, new employees got the royal treatment on day one. On my first day, there was no agenda, no email introduction, no walking tour with introductions. Nothing. I still only know about 20 people out of the 100+ that work there. It’s just odd. I guess I never really felt welcome. But apparently, I’m learning, that is the company culture.

I am only 10 weeks in and I was told my many of my colleagues that it would be 6 months before I felt comfortable and got the hang of the culture and industry.

My Friends
My dear friends Amber and Greg have been so wonderful to me. I don’t think they realize how easy this transition has been because of them. I would probably hang out with them more than I do but I’m afraid of pushing that boundary of good friend/annoying neighbor. (They live about a mile from me so I call them neighbors.)

There are a few ladies in the workplace that I enjoy lunching with and we’ve even met for the occasional happy hour(s).

I’ve gone to the gym with a lovely gal from the office. I did a meetup from Meetup.com – where I was the youngest person.

I’m getting there.

Day-to-Day
Day-to-day life is really the same….just different scenery. I still have to work, do laundry, pay bills, eat and sleep. I’ve been sick this week. I have great days at work and not so great days at work. Some days I want to be lazy and I am. Others I want to be active, so I find something to do. I have a grocery store, pharmacy and Target. I have a McDonald’s to get my large Diet Coke. I still hate cooking but a girls gotta eat!

Things I Love
– The Bay – I see glimpses of the bay on my drive to and from work and usually at lunch. I hope I never, ever lose the joy of seeing the bay.
– The City – The tourist parts, the ghetto parts, the beauty is amazing. The skyline is amazing. I love getting an unexpected view of the city and GG (Golden Gate) – it literally takes my breath away every time.
– Public Transportation – It may sound silly, but I love taking the BART into the city. So much better than driving and it really doesn’t take all that much longer and I don’t have to find and pay to park.
– This list could probably go on and on but just know I love this area!

Things I Miss
– The monkeys – We Skype. They ignore me. But I get to see their cute faces.
– The moms – We talk or text every day.
– I would say my brother; however, we have an interesting relationship. When we don’t see each other for awhile, we get more protective and take care of each other more. It doesn’t make sense and a topic for another post.
– Friends and family that I don’t have to be anything other than myself around. I miss the comfortable conversations and silences.
– Jimmy Johns. For the love of all that is awesome in this world, I need a Jimmy Johns. Please, please with sugar on top. Turkey Tom (no tomatoes)….where are you?

So there you have it. A very long, picture-less post about Bay Life. Like I said, I have lots of things I want to tell you about locked in my head. Maybe this weekend I’ll find time to let it all out!

Anything else you’d like to know? Any place I should visit on my Saturday Adventures? Any idea how to get me a fresh Turkey Tom?

Resolution Revisions

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Dear 13 13s in 2013:

You will most likely be revised, specifically number 11 and 12.

This is what happens when I take the time to find a recipe, go to the store to gather the ingredients and the tools need for preparation and prepare. The stupid glassware explode in my oven!

DSCN1367Ingredients: $16.19
Glassware: $14.99
My time preparing: Minimum 30  minutes
My time cleaning up: Minimum 100 years

Thanks for the memories Anchor. Super awesome!

Sincerely,
Disgruntled Left Bean

13 13’s in 2013

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It occurred to me as I was writing my 2012 recap that maybe my “projects” aka resolutions were a bit too lofty. Yes – I should be nicer to myself, true to myself and find a life path. Yes – I should and will do those things. However, thinking they will happen in one year is nuts! I’ll probably be working on these projects when I’m 80.

I have decided if I am going to do resolution/goals/projects, they need to be tangible, calculated goals that I can wrap my head around. And that I can boast about throughout the year to my pretty little blog lovers. With this realization, I present to you – 13 13’s in 2013.

  1. Read 13 books for pleasure.
  2. Be 13 pounds lighter by the end of the year (that is a minimum – hopefully more).
  3. Go on 13 dates. Notice I did not say first dates. If my next date is the man of my dreams, he will count for all 13 dates.
  4. Have $2,013 in savings by December 31, 2013.
  5. Give/Send 13 “just because” gifts or cards to my loves for no apparent reason.
  6. Do 13 anonymous random acts of kindness.
  7. Complete a west coast half marathon – running/walking/skipping – whatever. (A half marathon is 13.1 miles.)
  8. Write and post 13 blog entries a month.
  9. Indulge in 13 “technology free” days this year. No TV, internet, phone, Twitter, Facebook, etc.  (Yes, Mom, I’ll warn you in advance.)
  10. I will do 13 different types of exercise – not necessarily new, but at least different to shake things up.
  11. I will bring my lunch 13 times a month. Whoa – This will take some work.
  12. I will cook 13 new to me meals. The kind where I find a recipe on Pinterest, purchase the ingredients and cook. Again – whoa!
  13. Try 13 new things. This should be pretty easy since I live in an entirely new area but we’ll see.

So there you have it – My 13 13’s in 2013. I’m excited to make a spreadsheet to track all of these!

Have you made any resolutions to share with the left bean family?

My First House Guest

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A few weekends ago, I had my first visitor to my new home – my dear friend Renee. Although her main reason for being in my neck of the woods was work related, I was super glad to see her.

She arrived Friday evening and we spent the evening catching up over a great dinner at Tina’s Place in Pinole and bottle of wine. Then it was quickly back to the homestead to sleep.

Renee was a lovely houseguest. There was no judgment of my kitchen table (a borrowed card table), no anger at sleeping on the air mattress in the guest room (also borrowed), no bitterness about sharing a bathroom because I had no time to purchase a shower curtain for the guest bath. She even humored me when I said, “hey, let’s go into the city after you get finished working Saturday so I can wrap up my Christmas shopping. Oh, and by the way, I want to BART and MUNI (public transportation) in but don’t really know what I’m doing.”

And that’s where are adventure began. Renee got up early on Saturday morning (still on Indiana time) and then worked most of the day. There was an icky, drizzle all day. I had errands to run throughout the day while Renee was working in Berkley. We headed out from my house around 5:15 p.m. and to the nearest “safe” BART station.

Side Note: I’m always amazed what people will talk about in public. There was this woman having a very serious, passionate conversation with someone who I determined to be her best friend or former best friend. “I’m in a pretty bad place right now. I just don’t feel like you have time for me so I’m just dealing with it myself” was the main theme of the conversation.

I digress. Other than feeling like we were eavesdropping on a private conversation, the BART was pretty uneventful. Just traveling and chatting along the way. We got off at the Embarcadero stop and surfaced next to a beautiful Hyatt. It was very Christmas-y. Our next task was to get on the MUNI and take the F car to Pier 39.

According to my very fun app (511 Transit), it was supposed to be perfectly timed. And it was, except I crossed the street so we ended up waiting 5 minutes for the next one. I was so excited when we hopped on! Excited and proud to have successfully mapped out our adventure. After a few minutes, we’re at Powell Street to which I comment, “this is where Amber and Greg took me last weekend.”

Then it hit me – we are totally going the wrong direction. And then the map confirmed it. So we had two options – ride it out and get a nice tour or get off then back on going the correct direction. We selected option two. Although when we got off, we had to wait about 10 minutes for the next F car to come by.

After a moment of déjà vu, we were finally headed the right direction.

Until now, I have not mentioned the purpose of this trip. There was one reason and one reason only for this trip – Salt Water Taffy. I thought I had blogged about this already but apparently I have not. When Mom and I were here in August, Amber and Greg took us into the city, Fisherman’s Wharf/Pier 39. On our way to the car, my mom spotted a candy store with barrels, yes barrels, full of salt water taffy. And each barrel was a different flavor. No more of that “assortment” box. She could pick only chocolate, banana and strawberry. And $16 in taffy later, she was a happy girl. Since I now live in this grand salt water taffy filled land, I decided before I head home for the holidays I would pick up some taffy.

At Pier 39, we were on a mission – Salt Water Taffy. In fear the store might close before we got there, we searched and searched, passing up many other fun shops in the process. And at the end of the pier, Candy Baron emerged. And 3 pounds of taffy later, I was ready to be a tourist and eat a lovely dinner.

We went over to visit the seals, along with a few other shops, then we went to dinner at Pier Market Seafood Restaurant. Just a simple meal – two salads, two appetizers and a bottle of wine.

Then we headed back to the homestead. Here’s an interesting tip if you ever find yourself on the F line – the driver gets a 10 minutes break at the turn-around points.  Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful trip home. The number of BART stops are limited later in the evening so it was longer between trains. But around midnight we poured ourselves into bed.

And with an 8 a.m. flight back to Indy, my first visitor was gone. Hopefully to return in March!

Thanks Renee for being such a lovely house guest.

Now…..who’s next?

Not Too Shabby 2012

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Happy New Year! I hope everyone is doing well on this fine January morning!

I know that once the new year hits, you’re not supposed to look back but I haven’t done a 2012 recap yet so I’m doing it now. Based on my “projects” for 2012, I would call 2012 an absolute fail. Let’s briefly recap these so called “projects”:

Project #1 – Be nicer to myself.
Project #2 – Be true to myself and like myself for who I am.
Project #3 – Run like the wind! Or at least a gently breeze. And do lots of other workouts too!
Project #4 – Grow this fancy little blog.
Project #5 – Find a job/gainful employment/go back to school/move out-of-state/decide not to move out-of-state/stop living in the land of limbo.

I did provide a mid-year recap which was less than stellar. And not much as changed since then…expect Project #5.

Project #1 and #2 will always be a work in progress. I am a perfectionist and a people-pleaser. These two things do not go together well because you will never please every person all the time. This is hard for me to swallow because I want to make everyone happy and rather than work on this, I’ve kind of just fell into a whole of not making anyone happy including myself which is just not nice.

Project #3, well, honestly, I stopped running after the Geist 5K. Why? I have no idea. That’s a lie – I do know. See Project #1 and #2. I wanted running to come naturally to me. I read all of these blogs from these amazing ladies who run like the wind, and I wanted to be one of them. I wanted to be one of them – immediately. I wanted to see improvement with every run. I wanted to drop lbs like it was my job. I wanted to be able to annihilate a basket of bread with a side of pasta and not gain an ounce and be fueled for my next run.

Project #4 – I feel I have grown this little blog. I have new people following me with every post. I’m sure if I just tweeted when I write new posts, I could do so much more. Yet again, see Project #1 and #2 – I don’t feel lefty is promotion worthy yet.

Project #5 – NAILED IT! For the first time in a few years, I had a job almost every day of 2012! And in my wildest dreams, I never thought that would excite me so much – I always assumed that would be a given. And, I finally made the move I’ve been dreaming about since I was 20. And I am loving every minute being a California girl!

But in reality – 2012 really wasn’t that bad. I may have failed at a few goals but I did so much more instead!

  • I celebrated with my friends more – birthdays, promotions, weddings, graduations – I was there.
  • I was a coach for Girls on the Run. And I was a damn good one.
  • I was an asset to the association I worked for – without question. I planned events, ran the office, fixed the accounting and generally made people want to be involved again. I did great work!
  • I walk/ran a half marathon. The largest half in the United States. Not stellar but I did it.
  • I spent more time with my favorite monkeys (nieces and nephew).
  • I had one date.
  • I found a new love. (And it’s not the training schedule)
  • I moved to California. (!!!!!!!)

All said, 2012 was a year that had to happen in order to lay the ground work for 2013 and years to come. And as I sit here on January 1st thinking about 2012, I smile knowing of all the great things to come!

Happy New Year!