Just because the signage is clever

A good dinner it does not make.

Power Outage

Resulted in coffee run

NYC First Impressions

OK, so I've been here before - once when I was little and once I drove through Manhattan during rush hour with a huge headache to see how a big-time fencing club does business. So this is different. I'm an adult, with different interests than when I was a kid. I'm also working during the day.

First off, it's hot, and muggy. I forgot about Summer, but this is exactly what the Midwest felt like. I am very thankful my hotel has awesome AC because work did not today. The repair guy came by at the end of the day and seemed to have things straightened out. That said, I enjoy the Pivots I'm working with. I enjoy having a personality to put with Jeff who frequents the pivotal all company mailing list with great technical discussions. And it is comforting to have Chris as part of the team since he recently moved out from SF.

Google Latitude has been keeping up with me, so hopefully you are too via my blog's sidebar or even following me through Latitude. My phone got a lot of new life breathed in to it via iOS4, but I'm still eyeballin' an Android. I need to ask the Sprint ppl how the SF coverage is. NY pedestrian culture is crazy, people cross the streets all the time, no waiting for troublesome signals, just go. Tomorrow night after work I plan to head to an improv show. Wednesday night hang out with the ex-SF Pivots and whoever else wants to come out. Then by the weekend I'll be ready to see some dino bones at the Natural History Museum... maybe being an adult hasn't changed my interests all that much.

I feel like there should be a ball here

And maybe a few more LED billboards.

Lunch con Pivots

What's up Empire State Building?!?

I see you, can you see me?

Waiting for Baggage

I hear there's ways to acquire baggage that are a lot more "fun".

The view for the next 6 hours

Groupon take me to NYC

I'm perched here at SFO getting ready to board my flight to JFK. Last week I began work on a project at Pivotal Labs for Groupon. There is only one other guy in SFO working on it, but more in NYC and he's going on vacation this week. So rather than have me learn the code on my own and solo, I'm going to check out our NYC office for the first time.

While I'm out there I plan to check out the improv comedy scene and see Asscat if I can. I also want to stop by the Natural History Museum and see some dino remains. It kinda makes me hope that whatever inherits the earth will want to go to the museum of the future and stare at my bones and think, "I wish I had three bones in each of my fingers."

I'll be staying over the 4th of July, so it'll be awesome if I can catch the fireworks over the Statue of Liberty. There's also a swanky bar that has table tennis called Spin that I'm sure the Pivots will hit up with me.

The trip was kind of dropped on me, luckily this week is kind of a slow one for me. I'll miss a rehearsal with my troupe, Reply All. I also miss another Euchre Night - I'm afraid when I finally make it back to euchre no one will recognize me. None the less, it's a trip I've been meaning to take anyway and it'll be nice to roll it in with work stuff to keep the costs down. I'll do my best to take pictures and post 'em here, and you can always go straight to my blog and see the Latitude widget to see exactly where my travels are taking me from moment to moment.

A Sea of Feet

This is the view from the floor where I'm jacked in to a column for power at SFO on my way to NYC!

A Very Interesting Train Ride Home

Aside from the picture in my previous post that I took on the Amtrak, I had a very interesting journey home  from Sacramento - home of The Dickersons. Lauren and I arrived at the train station early so we stopped at Starbucks for some liquid crack. My poison is the Caramel Apple Spice. The dude behind the counter saw me dancing and smiled - he might have even thought I was cute. He asked if I wanted "a lot" of caramel, I said "Sure". He proceeds to empty the bottle on top of the whip cream in my beverage. Slaps a lid on it and hands it over just as the caramel starts to ooze out of the drinking hole. Then I found two hairs in my drink, long enough to not be mine or his.

On the train I signed in to Facebook. This is where I learned two things: 1) People do really get new phones, and 2) Facebook knows a lot more about me than I've told it, and it came in quite handy.

Then I had a very "adorable" and "theatrical" conversation on BART before de-boarding at the Powell Street station. I should return home more often.

Yes, I Ate Them Afterward

Cranky

And I know why. There's too much comedy between me and Thursday.

Goodbye Kite, Hello Bike

San Francisco, the city where everyone hikes or rides bikes. I haven't done anything for exercise since my climbing buddy went in to hiding. So I started looking in to getting a road bike. I was in a used bike shop when I noticed they had a big kite on the wall. I asked if they also resold kite surfing gear, like the kind I've been thinking about dragging down to Goodwill. Sure enough they do, so it's on consignment till they unload it. I'm hopeful it'll go fast since it's near the beginning of the season, the stuff is in good condition, and I set a rock bottom price.

So long kite surfing stuff! You were dangerous while I had you.

Next week I'll finalize my bike decision and join the ranks to city dwellers that can get around with some speed. I also hope to enjoy Golden Gate park a lot more this summer, maybe build up to some trips over the bridge or into the peninsula. The bike will be a certain degree of freedom - like being 16 again and getting my license. It also means that should I find a lady to spend my time with, it'll be that much easier to go see her, rather than an hour of cable cars, busses, and trains to get there.