Happy Birthday Peter!

Battling Friday night traffic and parking challenges was so worth it to meet some of my favorite people at Buca di Beppo’s for Lasagne and Chocolate Cake to celebrate Peter’s birthday

New Job

I’m three weeks into a new job at Invitrogen, a biotech firm in Carlsbad. Actually, Invitrogen just merged with Applied Biosystems and the new company is Life Technologies. Keith has been working there for several months and when one of the data entry people left he ushered my résumé into the right hands.

I’m really enjoying working for a dynamic company in a leading edge industry. They’re doing quite well despite this economy. The interior of the building is well-designed and they seem to have most of the latest technology. Everyone there is very smart and really nice. It’s a bit of a commute, but I’m going the opposite direction of the worst traffic and it’s a nice drive with views of the ocean and mountains off in the distance.

My friend Lisa also works there and we’re caught off guard when we run into each other because we’re not used to seeing each other at work.

Rollerskate dancing lessons

Seagulls Surfing the Wind

While we were rollerblading Sunday the wind was really strong coming in off the ocean and the seagulls seemed to be surfing the breeze or pretending to be kites.

Rollerblading Mission Bay Park

Christian, Bruno, Randall, and Andreas.

I try to be the guy with the camera so I don’t actually get in the picture, but sometimes they catch me.

Last night at Kicker’s Christian and Randall were talking about going rollerblading today and asked me if I wanted to go. Bruno was there so I asked him if we wanted to join us. So today, about 12:30 I put the top down and headed over to pick up Bruno by the Park. After picking up Christian in University Heights we drove to Mission Bay Park along the 5 to meet Andreas and Randall. Bruno braved the back seat of the convertible with the top down at highway speeds by holding onto his hat and leaning forward to hear us. With the windows up it's really nice in the front seat but the back is a little noisy and windy.

It was a beautiful day here in San Diego, if a bit windy by the ocean. After a cool, cloudy April lots of people were out enjoying the sun. Along the way we ran into Tim and Jae also out on rollerblades with their Jack Russell Terrier mix puppy.

Andreas has been really sick with mono for a couple weeks so he didn't rollerblade but he did enjoy being out in the warm sun. After we’d gone clear over to Sea World and back Christian was hungry so the three of us drove into Hillcrest for burritos in a bowl at Chipotlé. What a great day and an overall terrific weekend!

Solana Beach Sunset

Petco Park

Thursday, 4/16, Jennifer and I went for a walk through downtown, heading first to Petco Park, the new house of worship to all things baseball in SD. Even though I’m not a fan of city financed professional sports arenas, this one is very well-designed and the surrounding neighborhood is really nice. Next time I need to go around and get some pictures of the outside.

After leaving the baseball field we walked through downtown and stopped in a little place that just sells cupcakes. Not just any old cupcakes, but moist little cakes full of flavor topped with a light, exotic tasting buttercream frosting. I’m going to try to remember them next time I’m invited to a dinner party.

Then we walked a few blocks to Borders—Jennifer has the same weaknesses I do. And after that lunch at a very nice club/restaurtant in the Gaslamp.

Zanna, Don’t!

Thursday night at Kicker’s Ron, who’s normally pretty quiet and reserved, pulled me aside to tell me about a musical he’d produced and to ask if I wanted tickets. While telling me about it he lit up like a firecracker, got all animated, big smile, waiving his hands all over the place. I’d seen something about it in the GLT and after all that I couldn’t say “no”. So last night Keith and I headed to Roosevelt Middle School in Balboa Park for an evening of musical theater.

‘Zanna, Don’t!’ was originally produced off-Broadway and is an incredibly well-written, fun show with references ranging from The Rocky Horror Picture Show to A Tale of Two Cities. It takes place in a high school where all the kids are gay and the captain of the chess team is the most popular guy. This allows them to make fun of a lot things, like heterosexual fashion sense, and discuss controversies, such as Straights in the Military. I found it a bit of a cathartic hint to what high school could have been like if I'd felt the freedom to be all of myself.

In the second half the plot gets complicated when one of the guys realizes he really wants to take a girl to the Prom. Zanna, who’s been playing cupid, running around helping the girls connect with girls and guys with guys, decides that facilitating love is what’s really important. But when the straights reject him because he’s gay, he laments that they forget that he’s the one that taught them how to love.

I had a great time and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun evening out. It runs through May 10th. More information is at: http://www.zannasd.com/.

And Ron, as soon as the economy turns around, you need to quit your day job.

Jennifer & Lulu 04.08.09

This time Lulu joined us for a walk along the Embarcadero.

Back to Balboa Park

On the same afternoon I went back to Balboa Park to meet Terry & Allen to take advantage of the free museums on Tuesdays. We had a great time going through the Natural History Museum and especially enjoyed the large, interactive globe that animated the progression of the continents across the surface of the Earth and the advance and recession of the glaciers. Ater leaving the museum I took these pictures of the park in the early evening light.

Balboa Park

This morning I rode my bicycle over to Balboa Park and took the camera along. Arriving there I was surprised to find it crowded with people as if it were a weekend. Noticing the crowd to be lots of young kids I remembered that many area schools are on spring break this week. Balboa Park is large and beautiful and full of flowers and sculpture and interesting architecture. I made myself put the camera away and save it for other days. Otherwise I’d still be there. I just need to get there earlier to miss the crowds and catch the early light.

San Diego Embarcadero 03.25.09

Two weeks ago I met my friend Jennifer at her downtown apartment to go for a walk along the San Diego Bay. We headed south through Seaport Village towards the Convention Center, then back north to the Midway Aircraft Carrier before heading into the Gaslamp District for lunch. I’d forgotten about these pictures until today when I realized I’d better post them because we’re getting together to do it again tomorrow. Hopefully then I’ll remember to include a picture of her.

Christian’s Birthday Brunch at Café Bleu 03.22.09