Back to School...

I'm back in Lunch Lady Land... about midway through week three.

So far, I have to say that I've been very impressed with the current class. Things are off to a good start, my classroom feels pretty well managed -- at points I feel wildly successful -- of course, those highs last only so long, and the honeymoon may be slowly getting over.

Just a quick update...

Awesome things in life right now:

• Free Opera Tickets given to Tisa and I by our landlady... pretty good seats, Elixir of Love, really good stuff.
• Had a great time at the Bon Iver show celebrating Tisa's birth. They rocked alot harder than expected. Megafaun opened... I had never heard of them before, but having seen them, I really enjoyed they're banjo accompanied crooning.
• Great students that have been polite and respectful, really great year so far.

Crappy things in life right now:

• Bed bugs. Not fun. Check out this video if you have any doubts...

Back in lala land

Tisa and I are back in LA after a great vacation in Yosemite with Tisa's family, and a couple days in Merced as a layover before heading home.

Tons of highlights throughout the trip, had a really nice time with everyone there, and was happy to have Brian meet us in Yosemite for a week.

Tops on the trip was a hike up to Cloud's Rest in the northern yosemite wilderness. 14.4 miles round-trip, pretty decent day hike. At the end, there's this awesome part with all these Granite slabs that ascend to the top, at one part, we walked along a five foot path next to the drop off (which probably descends about 4,000 feet to the valley). Pretty exhilerating. Phenomenal view of halfdome. I'll post some pictures as soon as they're uploaded.

Hometown

Wrapping up a week in Sacto this evening, heading back to lala land tomorrow.
The week in review, a top ten list:

1. Tapas, then Mildly Mannered Millie, or some such musical, at Music Circus... really good actually, felt like I was back in the roaring twenties when Gatsby was bootlegging.
2. Rode bikes to Natomas Lake, jumped off a giant stump into the lake. Good times.
3. Merlino's Orange Freeze... changed its name, but the recipe remains the same: tons of sugar.
4. Rode bikes to Natomas Lake again. Rented stand-up paddle boards. Pretended to be Hawaiian for an hour.
5. Rafted down the Sacramento river today, those class I rapids were actually pretty fun. Felt like I was traveling down the Mississippi.
6. Mexican food with Mariachi's.
7. Lots of Ping Pong, a bit of tennis, and a bit of chess.
8. Stayed up until 5 a.m. reading American Shaolin, and learned alot about kung fu and chinese culture following the fall of Mao.
9. Breakfast with Clearwater and Bonnie in Davis... vegans eat less cheese.
10. Lots of quality time with Tisa, my parents, my brother, Grandma Lea, and Ruby.

All in all, had a pretty good-feeling time in Sac, hit up most of the nostalgia I remember from growing up near the river, and really enjoyed the time here. Next week, off to Yosemite to see Tisa's folks and a hike to Cloud's Rest.

CD of the New Financial Quarter

Now available.

Album Artwork to your left... print out... try to fold along lines. If that fails, make a paper boat and hold a race down by the river.

CD Title: an iguana in the sun
by: Various artists of the new financial quarter

You can download the tracks in one giant file by following this link (an Iguana in the Sun), filling in the text box, clicking download, waiting 25 seconds, then clicking download again. Or, you're welcome to listen below. Here's to iguana's, natures natural nurturer.

An Iguana in the Sun

Happy 4th of July!

Tisa and I went to the Hollywood Forever cemetery for a screening of Jaws this fourth of July. There were probably about 500 people or so there; we spread out our blanket, and had a nice picnic with some sangria. They have a DJ spinning tunes until it gets dark enough to show the movie, and this was probably the best remembrance of MJ's life that I've seen. Right before the movie came on, the DJ played a three song MJ set... starting with Jackson Five - ABC, moving onto Bus Stop, then ending with Thriller. As soon as Bus Stop started, at least 400 people just jumped up and started grooving and dancing in the cemetery. It was surreal and amazing (I've never seen anything like it in LA). Tisa and I jumped up and started dancing on our blanket, and I couldn't help but just look around in awe. People continued moving through Thriller... very fitting in the cemetery after dusk. As the fireworks went off in neighborhoods surrounding the area, people sat back and enjoyed the film. I actually felt a little sad that MJ passed, and really enjoyed sharing that moment with the other random people there.

Upcoming... other movies on saturdays and sundays at the cemetery... best time in LA by far.

Tip: Ride a bike there, they let you in pretty much first.

Soon: A sweet mix tape/CD for the summer that you can download... working on it now.