Sometimes it is hard to remember San Diego is a military town. There are beaches to distract you. Comic-Con comes once a year to create havoc. Let's not forget the incomparable San Diego Zoo and Sea World which if you grew up in San Diego were the best places for field trips. Though these days if you have a child under 5, you are more likely to visit Legoland than anything else in San Diego.
But there is a huge military presence in San Diego. Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard all reside within San Diego County. The only one missing is Army, but there's a base a couple of hours away by car. My father wasn't in the military, but almost every single one of my friends' fathers was a military guy. My friends had to deal with deployment, missed birthdays, general lack of communication (i.e. internet didn't exist), and watching me interact with my dad. I know it wasn't easy.
So Veteran's Day and Memorial Day have a special meaning to any San Diegan, native or new. A big thank you to everyone who has served our country. May we honor your and your families' sacrifice with empathy and gratitude. Be safe and stay strong.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Monday, November 4, 2013
A Review of Allegiant, the Final Book in the Divergent Series
I wrote a post about the Divergent series a couple months ago. The final book of the series, Allegiant, was published on October 22nd. I finally finished the book and should give it a review since I already dedicated a post to the first two books of the series. This is difficult because I don't want to even think about the book I just finished.
The problem is I (along with many others) really dislike Allegiant. I actually bought the book on its release date, skimmed through it, figured out I would hate it, and then it took me 12 days to finish it. No spoilers here, but I agree with the majority of readers. The ending is contrived and what the author Veronica Roth thought she was doing wasn't what she actually accomplished. The amazing story of strength, perserverance, and love apparent in the first two books ended up being a convoluted mess. Mostly I'm just disappointed.
Now I have even more respect for The Hunger Games. It is marvelously written with a true understanding of the human condition. I mentioned in my Divergent and Insurgent post that Veronica Roth was too ambitious which is obviously true. She ended up changing the way Allegiant was written because she couldn't write the story she wanted. But I think that should have been the first clue the path she decided to take was not how the story should have evolved. Much has been written about Roth's youth and in Allegiant it is very apparent. However, I also understand her defense of Allegiant and appreciate the maturity she has shown in its discussion.
So I highly recommend The Hunger Games to anyone. As I've mentioned before, Catching Fire is my favorite of the series and and trailer does not disappoint.
It looks good! The Divergent Series is subpar in many ways, but I don't regret reading it. However with all things, it is hard to remember the good when the ending is so bad.
The problem is I (along with many others) really dislike Allegiant. I actually bought the book on its release date, skimmed through it, figured out I would hate it, and then it took me 12 days to finish it. No spoilers here, but I agree with the majority of readers. The ending is contrived and what the author Veronica Roth thought she was doing wasn't what she actually accomplished. The amazing story of strength, perserverance, and love apparent in the first two books ended up being a convoluted mess. Mostly I'm just disappointed.
Now I have even more respect for The Hunger Games. It is marvelously written with a true understanding of the human condition. I mentioned in my Divergent and Insurgent post that Veronica Roth was too ambitious which is obviously true. She ended up changing the way Allegiant was written because she couldn't write the story she wanted. But I think that should have been the first clue the path she decided to take was not how the story should have evolved. Much has been written about Roth's youth and in Allegiant it is very apparent. However, I also understand her defense of Allegiant and appreciate the maturity she has shown in its discussion.
So I highly recommend The Hunger Games to anyone. As I've mentioned before, Catching Fire is my favorite of the series and and trailer does not disappoint.
It looks good! The Divergent Series is subpar in many ways, but I don't regret reading it. However with all things, it is hard to remember the good when the ending is so bad.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Venturing into Downtown Vegas for the first time
As a long time SoCal resident, I have been to Vegas many times. However, I have never gone to downtown Vegas. It is the original Vegas which is about a $20 cab ride from the Strip. I guess I have never ventured to downtown Vegas because I never had a reason to visit downtown Vegas. It makes sense it would take The Killers to bring me there.
The Killers are my favorite band. If I had to describe The Killers, I would say they are a glamourous rock band with super catchy music. Their shows are amazing. Some of my affinity for The Killers resides in the fact that I saw them very early in their career and liked them then. I used to love putting on The Killers while driving to Vegas. They really are a Vegas band: shiny, nonsensical, and always reliable for an amazing experience. I've always wanted to see The Killers in Vegas, but never had the chance. Then came Life is Beautiful.
The Life is Beautiful festival was very ambitious. First, it had an incredible lineup with The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Kings of Leon, Beck, and a reunited Jurassic 5 to mention a few names. The festival organizers brought together a culinary village sponsored by all the famous restaurants in Vegas. Each booth had various dishes which all had to be under $10. There was also a chef stage where musical acts would "cook" with chefs. Also at the festival was an Alchemy garden with all sorts of libations. As a festival, Life is Beautiful was a revelation.
Since the festival was in downtown Vegas, I convinced my sister we should stay in downtown Vegas. Just so we can could walk back to our hotel after the festival. We ended up staying at the Golden Nugget which I highly recommend if you are staying in downtown Vegas. The bathrooms were tiny, but the awesome pool makes up for that inconvenience. We even splurged and bought chairs at the adult only pool for Sunday so we could recover from Saturday. The bartender at the adult pool even had the tvs set to football games. The Chargers were on a bye, so I didn't have to be that person who had to watch her game and make everyone else watch it too. I simply watched and cheered everyone else's game while poolside.
The Killers are my favorite band. If I had to describe The Killers, I would say they are a glamourous rock band with super catchy music. Their shows are amazing. Some of my affinity for The Killers resides in the fact that I saw them very early in their career and liked them then. I used to love putting on The Killers while driving to Vegas. They really are a Vegas band: shiny, nonsensical, and always reliable for an amazing experience. I've always wanted to see The Killers in Vegas, but never had the chance. Then came Life is Beautiful.
The Life is Beautiful festival was very ambitious. First, it had an incredible lineup with The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Kings of Leon, Beck, and a reunited Jurassic 5 to mention a few names. The festival organizers brought together a culinary village sponsored by all the famous restaurants in Vegas. Each booth had various dishes which all had to be under $10. There was also a chef stage where musical acts would "cook" with chefs. Also at the festival was an Alchemy garden with all sorts of libations. As a festival, Life is Beautiful was a revelation.
Since the festival was in downtown Vegas, I convinced my sister we should stay in downtown Vegas. Just so we can could walk back to our hotel after the festival. We ended up staying at the Golden Nugget which I highly recommend if you are staying in downtown Vegas. The bathrooms were tiny, but the awesome pool makes up for that inconvenience. We even splurged and bought chairs at the adult only pool for Sunday so we could recover from Saturday. The bartender at the adult pool even had the tvs set to football games. The Chargers were on a bye, so I didn't have to be that person who had to watch her game and make everyone else watch it too. I simply watched and cheered everyone else's game while poolside.
The Killers were the last band for the entire festival and they were amazing. I had already seen The Killers twice (of course I did) for this Battle Born tour, so this was the third time I had seen them under a year. But The Killers were in their hometown and they were so excited. It probably helped that they had been home for about two weeks before this show and were ready to do one last performance. Brandon Flowers, the lead singer for The Killers, told stories about their songs. Mostly, they were thankful for their fans, demonstrated their appreciation by showering everyone with confetti, and ended the night with When you were young.
However, I will end this post with my favorite Killers song, Mr. Brightside. Thanks to The Killers for validating my reasons for making you my top band. Viva Vegas!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
My favorite places on 3rd Street
When I first moved to LA, I moved to West L.A. Unless you are familiar with L.A, you probably have not even heard of West L.A. It is the area just west of the 405 but east of Santa Monica. It is a pretty unremarkable area which has alot of conveniences. It is close to the 405 and 10 freeways which allows you to get around in L.A. No matter where you live in West L.A., you are guaranteed to be in a 5 miles radius of at least 2 Trader Joes. The rent is comparatively cheap with could definitely be worse parking. Mild weather (I know, it is weird to discuss differences in weather in L.A but if you live in L.A. you know there are disparate temperatures depending on where you live) since you don't get the marine layer or the 100 degree weather of the valley.
During my last year of grad school, my roommate bought a house. She offered to let me move in with her which was super nice. Mostly because as a minimalist in everything except my closet, I actually didn't own any furniture except my bed. Though I did own the TV and the wine bar (with alcohol!), so I really just had the essentials. Although, she had wanted to stay in the West L.A. area, my former roommate's dream house ended up being in Crestview which is a tiny neighborhood adjacent to Beverlywood. I hardly ever ventured east of the 405, but as a decisive yet adventurous person I said yes to moving with her.
Although Angelenos are mobile people, they don't really venture outside of their neighborhood unless out of necessity. The traffic is that bad and the convenience of your neighborhood usually just wins out. It was good for me to live in another part of L.A. and I grew to really love it. Just north of Crestview is 3rd street which became one of my favorite L.A. areas. It is filled with various eateries and shopping. If you don't mind walking a few blocks, you can park in a residential neighborhood and don't have to worry about metered parking.
So after enough preamble, here are some of my favorite things on 3rd street:
Little Next Door I always think I'll try a different brunch place, but I really adore Little Next Door. The food is scrumptious, the croissants amazing, and the decor is super cute. I've also come here for dinner and dinner is also very good. A true gem amongst the brunch scene.
Shopaholic sample sales I found this store while walking to Jones's on 3rd (which I'm not going to review but it is an LA institution). The salespeople are friendly but not overwhelming. The clothes are super cute and definitely my style. As important, the prices are extremely reasonable. One of their hallmarks is the massive dressing room in the back, so it is definitely not for the shy person. Just make sure you wear cute underwear before you go there.
Robata Jinya The best ramen in L.A. is at Daikokuya but Little Tokyo is really out of the way for everyone who doesn't live in Little Tokyo. Robata Jinya is a very close second. The ramen has sublime flavor and the noodles are perfect.
Mendocino Farms Everyone told me the sandwiches from Mendocino Farms were amazing. So when I tried one, I obviously thought I was going to be disappointed. However, all the accolades are deserved. It is literally just perfection. To add to their amazing-ness, they procure their own soda line. So I had one of the best ginger ales in my life to go along with one of the best sandwiches of my life.
There are a couple other cute clothing stores on 3rd street. None are as expensive as you would think considering their proximity to Beverly Hills and Melrose. I would suggest having brunch and then checking out the shops. Then you can reward yourself with a dessert. I'm partial to Georgetown Cupcake, but there is also Fonuts, Magnolia Bakery, Lady M Cake Boutique, or even Jones's on 3rd. Then again, now that I think about it perhaps you should start with a baked good/coffee, shop, and then eat dinner. Either way, you really can't go wrong on 3rd Street.
During my last year of grad school, my roommate bought a house. She offered to let me move in with her which was super nice. Mostly because as a minimalist in everything except my closet, I actually didn't own any furniture except my bed. Though I did own the TV and the wine bar (with alcohol!), so I really just had the essentials. Although, she had wanted to stay in the West L.A. area, my former roommate's dream house ended up being in Crestview which is a tiny neighborhood adjacent to Beverlywood. I hardly ever ventured east of the 405, but as a decisive yet adventurous person I said yes to moving with her.
Although Angelenos are mobile people, they don't really venture outside of their neighborhood unless out of necessity. The traffic is that bad and the convenience of your neighborhood usually just wins out. It was good for me to live in another part of L.A. and I grew to really love it. Just north of Crestview is 3rd street which became one of my favorite L.A. areas. It is filled with various eateries and shopping. If you don't mind walking a few blocks, you can park in a residential neighborhood and don't have to worry about metered parking.
So after enough preamble, here are some of my favorite things on 3rd street:
Little Next Door I always think I'll try a different brunch place, but I really adore Little Next Door. The food is scrumptious, the croissants amazing, and the decor is super cute. I've also come here for dinner and dinner is also very good. A true gem amongst the brunch scene.
Shopaholic sample sales I found this store while walking to Jones's on 3rd (which I'm not going to review but it is an LA institution). The salespeople are friendly but not overwhelming. The clothes are super cute and definitely my style. As important, the prices are extremely reasonable. One of their hallmarks is the massive dressing room in the back, so it is definitely not for the shy person. Just make sure you wear cute underwear before you go there.
Robata Jinya The best ramen in L.A. is at Daikokuya but Little Tokyo is really out of the way for everyone who doesn't live in Little Tokyo. Robata Jinya is a very close second. The ramen has sublime flavor and the noodles are perfect.
Mendocino Farms Everyone told me the sandwiches from Mendocino Farms were amazing. So when I tried one, I obviously thought I was going to be disappointed. However, all the accolades are deserved. It is literally just perfection. To add to their amazing-ness, they procure their own soda line. So I had one of the best ginger ales in my life to go along with one of the best sandwiches of my life.
There are a couple other cute clothing stores on 3rd street. None are as expensive as you would think considering their proximity to Beverly Hills and Melrose. I would suggest having brunch and then checking out the shops. Then you can reward yourself with a dessert. I'm partial to Georgetown Cupcake, but there is also Fonuts, Magnolia Bakery, Lady M Cake Boutique, or even Jones's on 3rd. Then again, now that I think about it perhaps you should start with a baked good/coffee, shop, and then eat dinner. Either way, you really can't go wrong on 3rd Street.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Being a child of the 90s
Sister: I can't believe they made another Romeo and Juliet movie!
Me: Yeah, everyone should just watch the Baz Luhrman version!
Me: It has Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. And amazing music.
Sister: I know, silly people.
Me: Now I want to watch Romeo and Juliet. We own it right?
Sister: In VHS.
Me: Do we have a VCR?
Sister: Somewhere?
Me: Maybe I'll just listen to the soundtrack. I do have both of them.
Me: (Thinking) Do we have a CD player?
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
I will look back at today and think "That was a good day for football."
The great thing about fantasy football is if your football team is doing poorly, your fantasy football team can make you happy. Or vice versa. Of course that means the worst is when your fantasy football team and your football team are both terrible. Those are the worst of times. I know because I lived through them.
Right now everything in my football world is good. I'm presently second place in my fantasy football league. The Chargers won a nationally televised game last night. I know this to be a good day, so I'm trying not to think on the past or the future. I would just like to marinate in today's goodness.
This is, of course, pretty impossible for me to do. Fantasy football revolves on luck (injuries, whims of coaches, and not just Andrew Luck) and thinking you have control over anything is just silly. Actually being in second place means I'm low on my totem pole waiver wire. It was suggested to me last week that I pick up Keenan Allen. The main reason I didn't (beside the fact that I already had two wide receivers playing at that moment) is because I hesitate adding any Chargers to my fantasy football team. I like keeping the two entities separate. The exception is the Chargers kicker (Nick Novak) who I like having on my fantasy team because if the Chargers do not score on 3rd down near the endzone, I can't be too mad since Novak will get me 3 points on my fantasy team (though I'm still plenty irritated). I'm pretty sure I'll regret not adding Allen to my team because at least the Chargers would have helped my fantasy team while stagnating in their own division.
So why are the Chargers destined to fail? They are presently 3-3 which would make them contenders in every division except their own AFC West. The remaining two undefeated teams in the entire football league (The Denver Broncos and The Kansas City Chiefs) are also in the AFC West. Of course the Chargers are not mathematically eliminated, but it seems unlikely the Chargers will win the division or the wild card. I'm too pragmatic not to think of this.
However, I will enjoy today. Mostly because as a Chargers fan I deserve it and as a fantasy football player I know these days are rare. So yes, today is a good day for football.
*This post honored two books from high school English: A Tale of Two Cities and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Right now everything in my football world is good. I'm presently second place in my fantasy football league. The Chargers won a nationally televised game last night. I know this to be a good day, so I'm trying not to think on the past or the future. I would just like to marinate in today's goodness.
This is, of course, pretty impossible for me to do. Fantasy football revolves on luck (injuries, whims of coaches, and not just Andrew Luck) and thinking you have control over anything is just silly. Actually being in second place means I'm low on my totem pole waiver wire. It was suggested to me last week that I pick up Keenan Allen. The main reason I didn't (beside the fact that I already had two wide receivers playing at that moment) is because I hesitate adding any Chargers to my fantasy football team. I like keeping the two entities separate. The exception is the Chargers kicker (Nick Novak) who I like having on my fantasy team because if the Chargers do not score on 3rd down near the endzone, I can't be too mad since Novak will get me 3 points on my fantasy team (though I'm still plenty irritated). I'm pretty sure I'll regret not adding Allen to my team because at least the Chargers would have helped my fantasy team while stagnating in their own division.
So why are the Chargers destined to fail? They are presently 3-3 which would make them contenders in every division except their own AFC West. The remaining two undefeated teams in the entire football league (The Denver Broncos and The Kansas City Chiefs) are also in the AFC West. Of course the Chargers are not mathematically eliminated, but it seems unlikely the Chargers will win the division or the wild card. I'm too pragmatic not to think of this.
However, I will enjoy today. Mostly because as a Chargers fan I deserve it and as a fantasy football player I know these days are rare. So yes, today is a good day for football.
*This post honored two books from high school English: A Tale of Two Cities and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
My favorite things from a 12 month Birchbox subscription: Part One
I'm 10 months into my 12 month Birchbox subscription. I've received some great things, some not so great, and some "what is this?" confusion. Let's concentrate on the positives! I've fallen in love with some items through my monthly Birchbox or the Birchbox website. Here are a few.
My favorite lipgloss: Benefit Ultra Plush lip gloss. There's a reason why this is so rated so well. It is a perfect lipgloss. A nice sheen without being too sticky. Easy to apply with just the right amount of color. I'm a big Buxom fan, but I will buy this lipgloss when my present supply runs out.
My favorite hand cream: Le Couvent des Minimes Gardener's Hand Healer. Another item that is highly rated. I'm a big proponent of the Neutrogena Hand Cream which has a gel consistency. However, the Neutrogena hand cream is more effective in cold weather than warm weather. For a moisturizing hand cream, the Le Couvent de Minimes Gardener's Hand Healer is truly amazing. The scent is lightly lemon, fresh without being overwhelming. It really is a hand butter which melts into the palms and the regular dermis of your skin. Unlike some other hand creams, any male would use this product.
My favorite hair product: Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo. I'm not sure how I survived without this product, some things are just that life altering. My hair always looks amazing after using this dry shampoo. Besides absorbing oil, it somehow revives hair by adding volume and shine. I was a skeptic of the dry shampoo fad...but it is real and this product is the best. This remains the only item I've actually bought from Birchbox after sampling.
My favorite indulgence item: Caudalie Divine Oil. One of the biggest beauty misconceptions is the idea oils are bad for skin. Oils are the best thing for skin, as long as they do not clog your pores. I can't really describe this product except to say it really is divine. The scent is a faint mixture derived from 4 oils (grape, hibiscus, sesame, and argan) but truly uplifting. In addition to the oils, proprietary anti-oxidant polyphenols (which may give it anti-aging properties) are added. It is a dry oil (I don't really know what that means) but it does have a lightness to it and is readily absorbed into the skin. This is one of those products that you really need to experience in order to understand. Or maybe not, it is kinda expensive.
This is the first of at least two posts regarding items from Birchbox. I'm undecided about my favorite eye cream. I still haven't gotten through my Nuance box. Some of my favorite things from Birchbox which I have yet to describe were from the CEW Mass Appeal box. I also have two more Birchboxes to go! The year of Beauty is coming to an end, but I'm glad to have found products which I'll be incorporating into my everyday routine.
My favorite lipgloss: Benefit Ultra Plush lip gloss. There's a reason why this is so rated so well. It is a perfect lipgloss. A nice sheen without being too sticky. Easy to apply with just the right amount of color. I'm a big Buxom fan, but I will buy this lipgloss when my present supply runs out.
My favorite hand cream: Le Couvent des Minimes Gardener's Hand Healer. Another item that is highly rated. I'm a big proponent of the Neutrogena Hand Cream which has a gel consistency. However, the Neutrogena hand cream is more effective in cold weather than warm weather. For a moisturizing hand cream, the Le Couvent de Minimes Gardener's Hand Healer is truly amazing. The scent is lightly lemon, fresh without being overwhelming. It really is a hand butter which melts into the palms and the regular dermis of your skin. Unlike some other hand creams, any male would use this product.
My favorite hair product: Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo. I'm not sure how I survived without this product, some things are just that life altering. My hair always looks amazing after using this dry shampoo. Besides absorbing oil, it somehow revives hair by adding volume and shine. I was a skeptic of the dry shampoo fad...but it is real and this product is the best. This remains the only item I've actually bought from Birchbox after sampling.
My favorite indulgence item: Caudalie Divine Oil. One of the biggest beauty misconceptions is the idea oils are bad for skin. Oils are the best thing for skin, as long as they do not clog your pores. I can't really describe this product except to say it really is divine. The scent is a faint mixture derived from 4 oils (grape, hibiscus, sesame, and argan) but truly uplifting. In addition to the oils, proprietary anti-oxidant polyphenols (which may give it anti-aging properties) are added. It is a dry oil (I don't really know what that means) but it does have a lightness to it and is readily absorbed into the skin. This is one of those products that you really need to experience in order to understand. Or maybe not, it is kinda expensive.
This is the first of at least two posts regarding items from Birchbox. I'm undecided about my favorite eye cream. I still haven't gotten through my Nuance box. Some of my favorite things from Birchbox which I have yet to describe were from the CEW Mass Appeal box. I also have two more Birchboxes to go! The year of Beauty is coming to an end, but I'm glad to have found products which I'll be incorporating into my everyday routine.
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