What a great feeling it was coming home from work today (I wrote this Thursday) and not having to spend all night thinking about whether I should be studying or not. I think my goal now is to let Netflix know I still exist. I've had the same 2 movies at my apartment for a solid 2 months or so. That's a solid $14.95 per rental, you're welcome, Netflix.
I finally got around to watching one - Synecdoche, New York. I'll admit I only rented it because I'm mostly self-centered and love movies about New York, but this one turned out to have very little to do with New York directly (I'm sure Charlie Kaufman would argue it has everything to do with New York, but anyway...). I'm a sucker for movies that make you think and pose questions with no answers (or was the question actually the answer), so this turned out to be right up my alley. If you don't like to think a little when you're watching a movie, skip this one. It wasn't so hard to follow that you couldn't still enjoy it. There was a nice balance. Anyway, here's the highlight of the movie (don't worry, the whole movie isn't this preachy):
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Half day!
I just got back from taking what I hope is the last part of the CPA exam. I'm pretty excited to hopefully not have to think about that anymore - especially since I spent more time thinking about it than actually studying. I pretty much started studying right after I graduated, so this will be the first time in my life that I haven't been thinking about grades or studying for a test (unless of course I decide to go after some other random letters and credentials).
It's another beautiful day in the city today, much cooler than Monday and Tuesday (mid-60s), but it still smells and feels like spring.
On my list of things to do with my extra couple hours today:
-Find a rolling screen for my window since they don't believe in window screens (or garbage disposals...) here. I enjoy living by myself, bugs, so stay out.
-Go for a bit longer of a run and workout today (4 days in a row, it's a new me!).
-Maybe get a bit ambitious for dinner rather than relying on Trader Joe to prepare it for me? Doubtful...
-Continue working on preliminary design/content for my hockey website.
-Laundry/ironing/general cleaning.
All of my local teams are officially done for the NHL playoffs after the Rangers and Devils both lost last night (that was even more disappointing than the Sharks, Devs, thanks fro making me feel a little better). In case you want to put money on which teams will lose next round, I'm rooting for the Ducks, Blackhawks, Penguins, and Hurricanes.
I enjoyed the brief day the Giants were at .500. Hopefully Timmay!! gets them back to even tonight.
It's another beautiful day in the city today, much cooler than Monday and Tuesday (mid-60s), but it still smells and feels like spring.
On my list of things to do with my extra couple hours today:
-Find a rolling screen for my window since they don't believe in window screens (or garbage disposals...) here. I enjoy living by myself, bugs, so stay out.
-Go for a bit longer of a run and workout today (4 days in a row, it's a new me!).
-Maybe get a bit ambitious for dinner rather than relying on Trader Joe to prepare it for me? Doubtful...
-Continue working on preliminary design/content for my hockey website.
-Laundry/ironing/general cleaning.
All of my local teams are officially done for the NHL playoffs after the Rangers and Devils both lost last night (that was even more disappointing than the Sharks, Devs, thanks fro making me feel a little better). In case you want to put money on which teams will lose next round, I'm rooting for the Ducks, Blackhawks, Penguins, and Hurricanes.
I enjoyed the brief day the Giants were at .500. Hopefully Timmay!! gets them back to even tonight.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Callling All Skeletons
Well, the inevitable finally occurred. After dropping the first two games at home, we were all almost certain it was over. Another playoff, another disappointment. I promise this is the last time I'll talk about this Sharks season, but humor me and follow along to the biggest heartbreaks (yes, I consider myself lucky to have a game be the source of my biggest let-downs) of the last 15 years of my life.
The 2008-2009 season will just get filed away in the same part of my brain as:
-Garpenlov's cross-bar in round 2 against the Leafs in '94;
-The sweep by the Red Wings in '95;
-The losses to the Stars and Avalanche in '98 and '99;
-The thrashing by the Stars in '00 after upsetting the Blues;
-The loss to the Blues in '01;
-Peter Forsberg's OT winner at the tank in game 6 in 2002 (after Selanne's missed empty netter);
-The debacle of a season that was 2003;
-The loss to Darryl Sutter's Flames in the conference finals of '04 when they dropped all 3 home games;
-The fact that there was no hockey in 2005 to follow up the best run in franchise history;
-Cheech getting absolutely robbed in game 3 by Roloson with a shot to go up 3-0 in the 2nd round of '06;
-Hannan's failed clear with the sharks having a chance to go up 3-1 against the Wings in the conference semi's of 2007;
...and of course...
-Dropping the first 3 games of the Stars' series in exceptionally emotionless fashion and getting eliminated in a 4 OT game in 2008.
===========
If I had to rank which ones linger the most:
1) 2004, one round away from the Conference finals against our old coach and goalie. The closest we ever got to the Cup.
2) Oilers in the second round of 2006. The Sharks were the 5 seed, but seeds 1-4 all lost in the
first round, so we had home ice for the rest of the conference playoffs. After a couple great wins in games 1 and 2, the Sharks battled to hang around in game 3 in Edmonton to force OT. Cheechoo received a pass from Thornton across the slot with half the net to shoot at, hesitated on the release, and Roloson got across to grab the puck out of the top corner. The Oilers proceeded to completely dominate the rest of the series en route to four straight wins. Game 3 save:
And then there's Drew Remenda's speech after game 6:
3) Detroit in 2007. This is the year the curse of the Sharks finally seemed legitimate. I remember sitting by myself at the home games. The Sharks stole the first game in Detroit and traded wins in games 2 and 3. Game 4 at the tank with a chance to go up 3-1 in the series. The Sharks led 2-1 with less than a minute remaining when a Robert Lang shot squirted through Nabokov to force OT. With about 3 minutes left in the first OT, Hannan made a brilliant pass to Mathieu Schneider (yes, Hannan was playing for the Sharks at the time), who teed up a slap-shot from the point past Nabokov. Game, momentum, series. Anyone wanna relive game 4?
4) The conference semi's loss to Colorado in 2002 (the true beginning of our perennial run as Cup favorites). I remember being in the arena for game 6 when Selanne missed the empty net wrap around in OT (what Sharks fan doesn't?) and then watching Forsberg finish us off. Colorado went back home for game 7 at stymied the Sharks 1-0.
5) Garpenlov's crossbar in '94. Our first taste of playoff success. I remember sitting on the couch of my old house during my First Communion party (was that really 15 years ago?!) watching Jamie Baker receive Osgood's pass and put it in the empty net. That play is why I'm as big a Sharks fan as I am now. I remember listening to overtime of Game 6 in my mom's minivan waiting to pick up my brother from baseball practice. The Sharks were up 3-2 in the series with a chance to close it out, and I still remember Dan Rusanowsky's call as Garpenlov had half the net open and rang one off the crossbar - *clank* I can still hear it today...
===================
In time, I'll think about the Anaheim series, not so much on purpose, and give it its place in history.
Pros: Never appeared to have control of this series. Emotional cushion was a layer thicker (see: above).
Cons: Team was built to fulfill the weaknesses of past playoff failures; Home ice throughout the playoffs; Pronger and Selanne - enough said; lost many hours of sleep this season being 3 hours later on the east coast watching games.
If you're still reading me spewing my heartbreak here, thanks for paying attention. In the style of my favorite hockey journalist, John Buccigross, here's the part where I force hockey and music collide. As I was at the Alkaline Trio concert on Sunday (the night before game 6), they played their song called "Calling All Skeletons" and my mind couldn't help but wander to how fitting it was for the Sharks and their fans:
Here it is again, yet it stings like the first time, seems it never ends...
...Where did you go, when the lights went black?
I've grown to love your disappearing act,
do one more pretty please.
...Now the time has come,
I just wish I could erase
all the damage done, all this pain, all this heartache...
...And to tell you the truth, I've lost my faith in you,
You've gotta stop sneaking up on me,
And these unspoken lies appear at the worst times...
I've grown to love your disappearing act, do one more pretty please.
==================
Shameless plug (Netflix it):
As the years go by and the chances slip away, I start to feel more and more for Red Sox fans pre-2000s. Here's one of my favorite movies, sums up the feelings of being let down by your sports team over and over. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/318193/Game-6/trailers
The 2008-2009 season will just get filed away in the same part of my brain as:
-Garpenlov's cross-bar in round 2 against the Leafs in '94;
-The sweep by the Red Wings in '95;
-The losses to the Stars and Avalanche in '98 and '99;
-The thrashing by the Stars in '00 after upsetting the Blues;
-The loss to the Blues in '01;
-Peter Forsberg's OT winner at the tank in game 6 in 2002 (after Selanne's missed empty netter);
-The debacle of a season that was 2003;
-The loss to Darryl Sutter's Flames in the conference finals of '04 when they dropped all 3 home games;
-The fact that there was no hockey in 2005 to follow up the best run in franchise history;
-Cheech getting absolutely robbed in game 3 by Roloson with a shot to go up 3-0 in the 2nd round of '06;
-Hannan's failed clear with the sharks having a chance to go up 3-1 against the Wings in the conference semi's of 2007;
...and of course...
-Dropping the first 3 games of the Stars' series in exceptionally emotionless fashion and getting eliminated in a 4 OT game in 2008.
===========
If I had to rank which ones linger the most:
1) 2004, one round away from the Conference finals against our old coach and goalie. The closest we ever got to the Cup.
2) Oilers in the second round of 2006. The Sharks were the 5 seed, but seeds 1-4 all lost in the
first round, so we had home ice for the rest of the conference playoffs. After a couple great wins in games 1 and 2, the Sharks battled to hang around in game 3 in Edmonton to force OT. Cheechoo received a pass from Thornton across the slot with half the net to shoot at, hesitated on the release, and Roloson got across to grab the puck out of the top corner. The Oilers proceeded to completely dominate the rest of the series en route to four straight wins. Game 3 save:
And then there's Drew Remenda's speech after game 6:
3) Detroit in 2007. This is the year the curse of the Sharks finally seemed legitimate. I remember sitting by myself at the home games. The Sharks stole the first game in Detroit and traded wins in games 2 and 3. Game 4 at the tank with a chance to go up 3-1 in the series. The Sharks led 2-1 with less than a minute remaining when a Robert Lang shot squirted through Nabokov to force OT. With about 3 minutes left in the first OT, Hannan made a brilliant pass to Mathieu Schneider (yes, Hannan was playing for the Sharks at the time), who teed up a slap-shot from the point past Nabokov. Game, momentum, series. Anyone wanna relive game 4?
4) The conference semi's loss to Colorado in 2002 (the true beginning of our perennial run as Cup favorites). I remember being in the arena for game 6 when Selanne missed the empty net wrap around in OT (what Sharks fan doesn't?) and then watching Forsberg finish us off. Colorado went back home for game 7 at stymied the Sharks 1-0.
5) Garpenlov's crossbar in '94. Our first taste of playoff success. I remember sitting on the couch of my old house during my First Communion party (was that really 15 years ago?!) watching Jamie Baker receive Osgood's pass and put it in the empty net. That play is why I'm as big a Sharks fan as I am now. I remember listening to overtime of Game 6 in my mom's minivan waiting to pick up my brother from baseball practice. The Sharks were up 3-2 in the series with a chance to close it out, and I still remember Dan Rusanowsky's call as Garpenlov had half the net open and rang one off the crossbar - *clank* I can still hear it today...
===================
In time, I'll think about the Anaheim series, not so much on purpose, and give it its place in history.
Pros: Never appeared to have control of this series. Emotional cushion was a layer thicker (see: above).
Cons: Team was built to fulfill the weaknesses of past playoff failures; Home ice throughout the playoffs; Pronger and Selanne - enough said; lost many hours of sleep this season being 3 hours later on the east coast watching games.
If you're still reading me spewing my heartbreak here, thanks for paying attention. In the style of my favorite hockey journalist, John Buccigross, here's the part where I force hockey and music collide. As I was at the Alkaline Trio concert on Sunday (the night before game 6), they played their song called "Calling All Skeletons" and my mind couldn't help but wander to how fitting it was for the Sharks and their fans:
Here it is again, yet it stings like the first time, seems it never ends...
...Where did you go, when the lights went black?
I've grown to love your disappearing act,
do one more pretty please.
...Now the time has come,
I just wish I could erase
all the damage done, all this pain, all this heartache...
...And to tell you the truth, I've lost my faith in you,
You've gotta stop sneaking up on me,
And these unspoken lies appear at the worst times...
I've grown to love your disappearing act, do one more pretty please.
==================
Shameless plug (Netflix it):
As the years go by and the chances slip away, I start to feel more and more for Red Sox fans pre-2000s. Here's one of my favorite movies, sums up the feelings of being let down by your sports team over and over. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/318193/Game-6/trailers
Monday, April 27, 2009
McCarren Park
Being that I left work at 5 today and conquered the adventure that is Union Square Trade Joe's on a Monday night, I decided to keep up my evening of productivity (and keep my mind wandering until the Sharks game at 10:30). Since it was 75 degrees, I decided running on the treadmill in the basement of my building would make be a little too reclusive, even for me, so I ventured up the block to McCarren Park for the first time to run. I've loved my neighborhood since I got here, but spring and summer are going to be something else. It was so amazing seeing an entire track and field's worth of people enjoying the weather on a Monday evening. For all the crap Williamsburg gets for its 2-to-1 hipster to non-hipster ratio, I definitely wouldn't trade it for anything (ok, maybe an address with Central Park after the numbers...).
Things I love:
-The sidewalks are crowded with people just wandering around on a Monday night.
-In my 7 block walk from the park, I passed 3 leginimate record stores, at least a half-dozen vintage clothing stores, as many bars with their half-length windows open full of people watching the ballgame, plenty of great restaurants, a few art galleries, and a gourmet cheese shop.
-The stretch of Bedford lined with street vendors selling used records and books (and even the lady who always will tell your fortune).
-And all the while I could look west and see the Manhattan skyline.
Anyway, time to heat up my TJ-prepared dinner, do a little studying for the last part (*fingers crossed*) of the CPA, and sit on my couch listening to The Rosebuds on vinyl like the hipster-wanna-be that I am...
Things I love:
-The sidewalks are crowded with people just wandering around on a Monday night.
-In my 7 block walk from the park, I passed 3 leginimate record stores, at least a half-dozen vintage clothing stores, as many bars with their half-length windows open full of people watching the ballgame, plenty of great restaurants, a few art galleries, and a gourmet cheese shop.
-The stretch of Bedford lined with street vendors selling used records and books (and even the lady who always will tell your fortune).
-And all the while I could look west and see the Manhattan skyline.
Anyway, time to heat up my TJ-prepared dinner, do a little studying for the last part (*fingers crossed*) of the CPA, and sit on my couch listening to The Rosebuds on vinyl like the hipster-wanna-be that I am...
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Planting Trees in the Blogx
Yes, that's right, this blog comes less than one month after the last one, a new record for me?
(Excuse the terrible title/pun but I can only title so many of these "Another Update" "What I've Been Up To" or "My Weekend")
So first off, don't people say that the one thing the east coast has over the west coast is that there are 4 seasons instead of just winter and summer? Well, A) I'm completely fine with just winter and summer, and B) Someone explain to me how it went from 50 degrees to 90 degrees in a matter of 2 days? That sounds like winter-to-summer to me...
Anyway, I got tree-cruited by my old SCU neighbor, Tera, to plant trees with the NYC SCU alumni group in Bronx Park on Saturday. Since it takes an hour+ to get there, and we had to stand around for 2 hours (read: "volunteer organizations" should be redubbed "volunteer disorganized-ations") before planting trees at 11, I had to wake up before 7am to get going so there was no big night out on Friday. On the subway ride up, I definitely felt more and more out of place as the street numbers got higher and higher. The SCU group was fun, and it was great to feel like we were contributing to the beautification of the city - even though I felt like we were planting trees in what was already a forest (and we weren't exactly in a part of the city I'll be frequenting). The river was cute though and maybe I'll have to do the cayak trip someday. We were part of some city initiative called "Million Trees NYC", whose mission is to plant a million trees in the city. As of posting, the website says 174,590 trees have been planted, which means they clearly haven't updated since Saturday because I think I put them well past their goal (you're welcome, Bloomberg). Anyway, all in all it was a fun day and I enjoyed the sunshine and the group.
So to summarize the month:
-Parents visited for the weekend, saw some plays - "God of Carnage - 5 stars", "reasons to be pretty - 3 stars", and "Accent on Youth - 4 stars". I'd recommend all of them though. Ate some good food - "Peter Lugers (easily the best steak I've ever had)" "Tribeca Grill (Easter brunch)" and "Blue Fin (some Good Friday fish)".
-Baseball season started, so I've been to 2 Mets games so far (decided against the Yankees). Citi Field is pretty cool, though it's no Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T Park. They do have a Shake Shack in the stadium which is absolutely fantastic.
-Staying up far to late to watch - and then fume about - the Sharks' collapses (it just wouldn't be late April otherwise). I'm generally an optimistic person, but I can only take so many (i.e. 5 - Calgary, Edmonton, Detroit, Dallas, Anaheim) years of missed expectations before I become a pessimist.
-Started preliminary design work on my pipedream of starting a hockey statistics website. It'll probably never get off the ground, but I always need a pet project.
-Went to a show down the block (I love to brag about that since I spent 6 years driving an hour to San Francisco to see shows) tonight - Alkaline Trio and Saves the Day. Odd that it was my first time seeing Saves the Day considering how many pop-punk shows I went to in high school and college. It's really fun seeing bands that I listened to in high school who are still around, and Alkaline Trio's the first one in quite a while.
Another solid month in New York. I think I can officially say that I survived my first NYC winter - which apparently was an exceptionally cold one too! I'll definitely be here for a few more.
(Excuse the terrible title/pun but I can only title so many of these "Another Update" "What I've Been Up To" or "My Weekend")
So first off, don't people say that the one thing the east coast has over the west coast is that there are 4 seasons instead of just winter and summer? Well, A) I'm completely fine with just winter and summer, and B) Someone explain to me how it went from 50 degrees to 90 degrees in a matter of 2 days? That sounds like winter-to-summer to me...
Anyway, I got tree-cruited by my old SCU neighbor, Tera, to plant trees with the NYC SCU alumni group in Bronx Park on Saturday. Since it takes an hour+ to get there, and we had to stand around for 2 hours (read: "volunteer organizations" should be redubbed "volunteer disorganized-ations") before planting trees at 11, I had to wake up before 7am to get going so there was no big night out on Friday. On the subway ride up, I definitely felt more and more out of place as the street numbers got higher and higher. The SCU group was fun, and it was great to feel like we were contributing to the beautification of the city - even though I felt like we were planting trees in what was already a forest (and we weren't exactly in a part of the city I'll be frequenting). The river was cute though and maybe I'll have to do the cayak trip someday. We were part of some city initiative called "Million Trees NYC", whose mission is to plant a million trees in the city. As of posting, the website says 174,590 trees have been planted, which means they clearly haven't updated since Saturday because I think I put them well past their goal (you're welcome, Bloomberg). Anyway, all in all it was a fun day and I enjoyed the sunshine and the group.
So to summarize the month:
-Parents visited for the weekend, saw some plays - "God of Carnage - 5 stars", "reasons to be pretty - 3 stars", and "Accent on Youth - 4 stars". I'd recommend all of them though. Ate some good food - "Peter Lugers (easily the best steak I've ever had)" "Tribeca Grill (Easter brunch)" and "Blue Fin (some Good Friday fish)".
-Baseball season started, so I've been to 2 Mets games so far (decided against the Yankees). Citi Field is pretty cool, though it's no Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T Park. They do have a Shake Shack in the stadium which is absolutely fantastic.
-Staying up far to late to watch - and then fume about - the Sharks' collapses (it just wouldn't be late April otherwise). I'm generally an optimistic person, but I can only take so many (i.e. 5 - Calgary, Edmonton, Detroit, Dallas, Anaheim) years of missed expectations before I become a pessimist.
-Started preliminary design work on my pipedream of starting a hockey statistics website. It'll probably never get off the ground, but I always need a pet project.
-Went to a show down the block (I love to brag about that since I spent 6 years driving an hour to San Francisco to see shows) tonight - Alkaline Trio and Saves the Day. Odd that it was my first time seeing Saves the Day considering how many pop-punk shows I went to in high school and college. It's really fun seeing bands that I listened to in high school who are still around, and Alkaline Trio's the first one in quite a while.
Another solid month in New York. I think I can officially say that I survived my first NYC winter - which apparently was an exceptionally cold one too! I'll definitely be here for a few more.
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