THANKS, POPE BENEDICT XVI

This has been a special week/weekend for Roman Catholics in the United States. Barring all of the scandal that has enveloped the Catholic Church in the U.S., and the somewhat "lax" faith practices of Church members (myself included ---at times--- I must poorly admit), Pope Benedict XVI's visit has been one of great spiritual awakening for many. His message of faith, hope, and charity is one that the country has been in need of for quite some time.

I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about Pope Benedict's election to the Papacy. But that skepticism was spawned more so from a sense of "unfamiliarity." I had grown-up in a world that was accustomed to having Pope John Paul II as the spiritual leader of Catholics, and I guess a part of me just figured that he would never leave. That was purely my innocence mixed with a greater sense of personal ignorance. Like many, sometimes I find it way too hard to veer off the path of familiarity. Losing John Paul II a few years back was something that I couldn't comprehend, nor did I allow myself to care too deeply about the situation at the time. Truth is, however, I did (do) care.

Pope Benedict's election was one that flew over my head. He came almost as quickly as John Paul II left. And I think that I didn't allow myself to be fully open to his election. I even went as far as making fun of him with friends; saying that he looked scary, and that he probably was super mean or something. But after watching all of the news accounts of his visit to the East Coast, and listening to his more-than-personal messages during homilies and other speeches, I must say that I feel horrible for feeling the way I did about him. And I wish I was home for that Mass at Nationals' Stadium, and I wish I was at Yankee Stadium in NYC right now (I am watching the Mass on Fox News as I type). Needless to say, I would like to be in an audience of the Pope one day.

I have to remember that embracing change comes at every level of life. And I have to remember to trust in His promises for us. I have my moral convictions, but I do not shove my faith down anyone's throat. And I am OK with that.

Thanks, Pope Benedict XVI, for reminding me to lead by example and by faith.

REALITY BITES (SOMETIMES)

This weekend I made a little trip to San Fran. Trips to The Bay have become one of the easiest things ever... sort of like how easy it was for me to hop in a car and drive to NYC from the DC area back in the day. It's becoming more and more common for me to hop on a plane to San Fran on a whim. Yes, the hour-long plane ride is so worth the while. I'd probably spend just as much (if not more) on gas. But why waste almost six hours on the road?

So San Fran... I've been many times already, and I feel like I've done it all. So this time around was more of a laid-back trip. I got in late on Friday night, and took BART into the city from SFO. I checked-in to my hotel, ordered room service, then called it a night. But even though room service cost me an arm and a leg, it was yum: a quesadilla with chorizo (yum) and steak fries (of course). Well, it was either yum, or I was just way too buzzed for my own good. Oh well. I still ended up signing the $30+ check. Boo.

Next morning, I was up early and walked around - hitting up H&M and a few other spots around the hotel. I even came away with a new pair of shoes (of course). When the Godsis and Godbro came into the city, they scooped me up and we headed to The Ferry Building. The Saturday morning farmers' market was alive, and we were hungry. After deciding not to wait for almost two hours for a table at The Slanted Door, we opted for cheap/casual eats a few doors down at Mijita . I had the chorizo con huevos, which was yummm. I wish I took a pic of it before I devoured it. They also had some of the greatest chips and salsa I've ever had. And I'm usually not discriminative when it comes to chips y salsa. Seriously, throw me a bag of chips from Chipotle, a little salsa, and I can call it day. Gross, I know. But that's just how much I don't pay attention to chips y salsa. But Mijita serves their chips thick and crunchy. And the salsa - absolutely understated; not too strong, and not at all flavorless. For sweets, we went inside and grabbed some Parisian macaroons at Miette. Yum, again. I tasted the hazelnut and the pistachio macaroons, which were amazingly soft, chewy, yet not overly rich. Len got a rose-flavored one, which she let me taste. It was interesting to say the least, but I'd rather not gnaw on something that reminded me of my mom's perfume from 1987 or something. Bleh!

Since the weather was amazing, we decided to jump on the ferry to Sausalito on-the-fly. Sausalito is a nice, quaint place. Too bad we realized later that we weren't in the mood for "nice" or "quaint." The heat made us sleepy, and we stopped in at Starbucks for a pick-me-up that lasted about an hour. After walking around more, we decided to hop back on the ferry and return to the city. We headed back to my hotel for the complimentary hors d'oeuvres (mini quiches and egg rolls were the hi-lites here) in the Executive Lounge, and then got ready to meet up at my sister's. We went to my sister's place in the Potrero Hill area to meet with her and my nephew and nieces. We all went out for dinner and drinks at Lingba, a Thai-inspired restaurant/lounge. The spot was nicely dim, but very chic. The food smelled awesome. I, on the one hand, did not indulge in any traditional Thai dishes. Perhaps it was the effects of the alcohol, but for some reason I was swayed more to eat an L.A.-esque "dinner" of six pieces of kanpachi tartare, which did nothing to help absorb the alcohol. BUT it was tasty, to say the least... as were the pieces of sashimi that my nephew and I split. Surprisingly enough, the sashimi was fresh considering it was (1) a Saturday night, and (2) it was a Thai restaurant (as opposed to an authentic Japanese spot). When that was over, we dropped off my sister at her pad, then headed back to the hotel where I decided it would be apropos to throw up...and then an attempt to eat a slice of pizza was made. Gross attempt, btw.

Next morning we scooped up Tes, and headed to Napa. We stopped for lunch in Sonoma, at a charming little spot called The Girl and the Fig, where I had the best Quiche Lorraine ever. It was soft and silky as if it were butter, and the flavors were bursting. It was paired nicely with a side salad of mixed field greens, and a huge portion of julienne French fried potatoes. When lunch was done, I was desperate to buy flip flops, and luckily I was able to switch out my annoying ass Chucks for a pair of Havaianas. We drove further into Napa, and made a pit-stop at Domaine Chandon for a four-flight sparkling wine taste. YUM. Afterwards, we drove our sleepy asses back to my hotel for another evening of hors d'oeuvres in the Exec Lounge (this time: fried mushrooms w/ranch dipping sauce, and fried jalapeno poppers filled with cream cheese). Later that night, the gang took me to Cafe Colma at the Lucky Chances casino, where I had a Filipino "rice plate." I guess that's supposed to be the "Filipino" equivalent of a Hawaiian "rice plate," but instead of chicken katsu and rice, I had longanisa (and a porkchop - it was a "combo" plate) and rice. Yum and weird at the same time.

My last night was spent packing, and the next morning I pretty much hung out for a little bit, met up with a college buddy for a split second, then a quick lunch (spicy teriyaki chicken bowl from Mr. Hana) with Len before hopping on BART headed back to SFO. I was back in L.A. in no time.

The thing I love about San Fran is that it has that "big city" feel that I miss about the East Coast. I think the slow-pacedness of SoCal is something that I have truly began to acclimate to, but I still can't deny that I'm a city guy at the core. I thrive in quick-paced, high-voltage living. I am so not made for a life too simple. It's just not me.

My weekend mini-vacay was much needed, and reminded me of how important it is to step out of your comfort zones from time to time. I've got my life pretty-much scheduled-out these days, so to be able to run off someplace once in a while is definitely a blessing. Getting back into the swing of reality is what bites... sometimes.
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Random: I'm watching an episode of Work Out (which I never watch ever) on Bravo, and that new trainer named Greg totally used to work out at the Gold's I went to back in Arlington (VA). He's way too over-muscled, and looks like he wears eye-liner. I can't believe he's on TV.

(Photos from TOP to BOTTOM: The Ferry Building logo; view of Mijita restaurant through it's store-front window; Parisian macaroons from Miette Patisserie; inside view of Lingba Restaurant/Lounge - Potrero Hill; main entrance - Domaine Chandon winery; headshot of Greg Plitt from Bravo's Work Out.)

I AM AN "RDG"

I am a “real deal Gemini," and it shows.

My family and close friends all know this. Even my co-workers have come to know me as such. They all seem to know that I struggle with two sides of a coin when it comes to anything and everything. I see the good and bad in all things. I struggle between choosing what’s truly right from what’s truly wrong because, in hindsight, I am able to find both qualities in all things.

On the other side of the spectrum, my Gemini duality is manifested in scarier ways. I can be quiet, calm, and easy-going one moment, and then out-right irate, annoyed, and moody the next. There are times when I will want something so bad that I won’t rest until I have it, or there are instances where I can wait forever for something to either “come my way,” or “fall into my lap.” I’ve been known to throw tantrums, and scream at the top of my lungs when things don’t go my way. But I am also quite accommodating when it comes to accepting defeat, and taking each experience as it comes. I am easily influenced at times, but doubly influencing at others. I can be prone to forgiveness and/or vindictiveness at will. I laugh at the expense of others, yet my heart aches when people experience pain or sorrow. I am quite aloof and can have a “go with the flow” attitude when I want, but I can also be super demanding and high-maintenance as well. At times I love to be surrounded by people, but there are days when I just want to be alone.

I am a “real deal Gemini," and it shows.

My niece, whose birthday falls exactly two weeks after mine, is an “R(eal) D(eal) G(emini)” as well. At the times that I’ve seen her, I’ve experienced this phenomena first hand. It amuses me, yet equally scares me. I see a lot of myself in her, and through her I am able to see the intricacies of being me. Every lesson I learn through my niece, is a lesson learned about myself.

Blood runs much deeper than water.

Yes, even for an “RDG.”

NEED. MO. TI. VA. TION.

I’m having one of those weeks where I feel completely un-motivated to do anything at work. I usually handle things in the office as they come, and today my work flow has trickled in super slowly. I'm talking tortoisesque. It’s weird though, because some days I’ll be praying to the gods to allow me a moment to breathe. Today is not one of those days.

On the upside, days like this actually allow me to be absolutely mindful of some of the things that wouldn’t usually cause me to blink. For instance, one of my co-workers came by and we literally discussed The Hills for a good 40 minutes. FORTY FUCKING MINUTES. Yes. For 40 minutes we talked about how (1) Lauren and Brody should stop the madness and just hook-up (again), (2) we’ve decided that Audrina actually looks pretty retarded, (3) Lo is cool, but she’s been looking pretty hurt lately (word is out that she has some commercial on TV now), (4) Spencer is still an idiot, (5) Heidi is still an idiot (with collagen injections in her lips), and (6) Whitney is actually one of the only people (aside from Lauren) who actually may have a real future on her hands aside from being a peon in the world of pseudo-reality tv. Yes, folks. We discussed this for 40 minutes as if it was our job.

Another thing that happened… Well, over the weekend I ordered something from Overstock.com. This is the first time I had ordered from this company, so I had 10% apprehension running through my veins; not too much since I know of many people who have ordered from them previously. I think I placed my order late Friday night/Saturday morning. The first item delivered yesterday morning, and I was floored. That kind of speedy service, for $2.95 no less, was reason enough for me to pledge my allegiance. But I held back since I hadn’t received the other item just yet. That other item came in today, and that excited me. But when I opened it I was disappointed, and felt somewhat cheated. The shoes that I ordered were el bore-o; not like how I thought they looked on the website. Thing is, you have to fill out something online in order for Overstock.com to get the “return” process started. How fucking annoying is that? But I don’t know what I’m more annoyed at: the fact that their return procedures are whack, or that I faced a momentary lapse in judgment and ordered the ugliest shoes ever?! I think I’ll have to go with the latter. Those who know me know that when it comes to shoes, I am quite the particular one. Everything has to be right – fit, style, size… I don’t go for your run-of-the-mill personality-less pair of shoes. I always go with a pair that can tell 101 things about a person (yes, I believe that shoes – in many ways – are windows to a person’s sense of being, style, and sanity). This pair from Overstock, however, was a complete miss. I almost feel like I’ve lost that Midas touch because of it. It’s disappointing, and a blow to my ego. I must now seek solace in solitary confinement for a night or two to sit-back and ponder the error of my ways. I’m mad at myself, but a little mad at Overstock.com, P.S.

Other things… Oh yes. I’m going to spend next weekend in San Fran, so I’ve spent a good time of my day researching stuff that I want to do while I’m there. All I know is that I will be going to Citizen Cake once I get off BART from SFO (and after I check-in my hotel room). My Godsis also found a cool lounge/restaurant, Madjool, for everyone to meet up at Saturday night. And Sunday is supposed to be spent in either Napa or Santa Cruz. I guess I’ll flip a coin Saturday night as I’m falling off an ottoman after having way too many drinks.

Needless to say, it’s time for this day to end. Honestly.