Busy busy busy

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been very busy these past few weeks and this coming week is a true test of my endurance. 

Monday: fly from Newark back to Bakerfield (6 hour flight and a 1 hour flight)

Tuesday: drive up to Oakland (4 hour drive) and do a 5 hour training in the afternoon

Wednesday: drive back to Bakersfield (4 hours) and the drive to San Diego (another 4 hours) for New Year's Eve 

Thursday: drive back to Bakersfield (4 hours) 

Friday: actually go into the office and a hockey game at night 

Saturday: fly to Philly (two 4 hour flights) and drive to penn state (3 hour drive)

That's over 10,000 miles of travel in a week! Good thing I have a bunch of new books....

Sunday night plant trial

I am coming to you live from Tulare, California where I am at a Sunday night plant trial. That's right, I'm at work at 8pm on a Sunday. So much for the 9-5 M-F life style. 

UPDATE: 3:52am. I survived. I think I'll work from home tomorrow....

Christmas party!

Tonight was the work Christmas party at the local ice rink! It was a ton of fun and my legs are so sore now.

Me and the other east coast transplants had no problem hiring the ice and playing a little hockey. The california born and raised struggled a bit more.

They had a snow pile for the kids to play in. For many of the kids it was their FIRST TIME seeing snow. 

Someone asked me when I first saw snow. I figured since I was born in February it was probably within my first few days. My coworker who were born here said he first saw real snow when they were 15. Very strange. 

It was a very nice low key party. It was fun meeting everyone's little kids and seeing everyone out of work.

This weekend I won't have much to report. Pretty much everyone is leaving town and I got Christmas shopping to do!!

Merry Christmas indeed

The best part about working for an ice cream company is the free stuff. And since its holiday time all our suppliers are sending is free product to schmooze us. I'm loving it. Mainly because it mostly chocolate.

We also got wine from our boss today! 

Greetings from....

I'm on my first solo corporate business trip up to San Fran area. Look a little campus tour on my way up! It was too dark and rainy for pictures so I think I'm going to have to return....Oh darn...

I scream for free ice cream

Our plant is going down for the next month so we had to clean out the freezers. It was tough but I found a way to contribute 

Survived the storm!

Hockey weekend

4 nights, 4 games this weekend! 

I'm official now, I got my all access pass

It started off interesting with an arena black out. It was completely pitch black at first which I did not enjoy since I was trying to get off the ice at the time. Luckily none of the players hit me.

Luckily we had back up generators! But the ice still began to melt and the game started over an hour late. The players entertained the crowd with a shooting contest that resulted in some pretty crazy goals. 

The Condors won it in a shootout! This team sure loves going into overtime. And getting into fights. Mostly getting into fights.

The weather here continues to not be sunny and blue skies. The wind is howling and the dust is kicking up. 

I am not a fan.

Also my friend got hit by some tumbleweed. It's not as funny as on TV.

That's some serious scratching. 

I can hear the rain starting now. We are suppose to get 1 whole inch so naturally there are flash flood warnings going on. 

Sometimes I feel like I am living in another country. 

The fog continues

The crazy dense fog continues here. Current visibility: about a 100 yards. So if I was standing in the end zone of a football field and you were standing in the other....I couldn't see you because of the fog. 

I had to go pick my co-worker up from the airport tonight. The airport is out in the desert, where there are no buildings or trees to block the fog. I tried to get a picture when I was at a stop sign about to turn into the airport. Here is what I got.

You can see the airport terminal right? It's right in front of you....

The fog is so thick you can taste it, like being in a giant humidifier. 

So what is Tule fog you may ask? If you never heard of it, that's because its specific to the San Joaquin Valley (where I live). It forms during the rainy (haha) season here. Car accidents in this fog are the leading cause of weather-related deaths in California. In fact, 7 years ago the fog cause a 108 car and 18 truck pileup just outside of town. I am never driving in this fog again. 

What is kind of cool is we are basically in a giant cloud. What is weird is that it is currently 45 degrees here at ground level, but right above the fog level its much warmer. During the day, the fog is so thick the sun can't break through it. 

I find this fog quite fascinating because I have never seen anything like it outside of Scooby Doo episodes.

Hopefully this will go away in the weekend. Apparently we are getting a giant storm that will cause massive flooding and mudslides and 30 ft waves on the coast.

And to think I moved here for the sunshine...

I eat veggies I swear

Proof I eat veggies at an ever increasing amount: WOOO getting healthy!

Weather continues acting weird

It's going crazy here. And it's going to rain tomorrow. I think I brought this with me.

Tulle fog

I've been told that california doesn't have weather, it just has sun. But we do get weather really weird weather, like tulle fog.

I woke up this morning to a heavy fog alert and schools on 2 hour delay due to fog. I thought california was ridiculous and overreacting, until I went outside.

Visibility was 100 ft. 

It made driving really interesting since no one thought to turn on their lights. And you couldn't see red lights until they were right in front of you

 

Luckily work turns on big flashing lights so you know where to turn. 

Oh well, just another new thing to get use to. Apparently this happens all winter.

All I Want for Christmas is....

So I figured posting christmas present ideas here is a good idea since my whole family reads this. I have a hard time coming up with present ideas this year because I have a new job, a new car, a new apartment, and tons of other new stuff and I am pretty set right now. BUT since everyone keeps asking....

1. Books! 
While I have my kindle, they aren't easy to read at the pool or on my balcony. Plus nothing is better then real books.

2. Cool notebooks for work
I have a lot to write down and have already gone through 2 notebooks. But they are just boring black and white books and I would like something more fun. And bonus points if they can help me stay organized. 

3. Things to keep me organized/clean
I hate cleaning and organizing my apartment. Whatever helps!

4. Piano sheet music
I started playing piano again after finding a good used electronic piano. I could always use more music. 

5. Work clothes

6. Gift cards! Seriously. Gift cards are great.
Trader Joes, Target, Walmart, Chipotle (if that is a thing), Kohls, Best Buy, anywhere I can buy clothes...

P.S Nothing big. I have to get this in a suitcase.

Hope this helps! 

Lazy weekend

Not much to report from this weekend. I had a lazy weekend just hanging out with my friends. Got some good dinner, played some board games, and watched The Hunger Games.

I destroyed at Settlers of Catan. My friends weren't too happy on how I kept winning.

It's kind of nice just having a hangout weekend. After 5 months life here is starting to feel normal! Except that's it's 65 in December....

Back at Penn State!

I braved the cold on Saturday and returned to Penn State for some football! I road tripped back to the ole Alma Mater with my old roommate Chelsea. 

First stop was to visit my freshman year hall with Chelsea and my friend Rob. We stopped by all our favorite places on our way to the game. Nothing has really changed in 4 months. 

I have been told that white stuff on the ground is called "snow"

It was weird being in the alumni section, and Penn State lost miserably to Michigan State, but it was still nice to go back and catch a game. Even though by the end of the game my nose was red, my lips were chapped, and I couldn't feel my toes. 

My personal favorite part of the game was the drunken old man behind us who kept saying "well at least we don't have to live in Michigan...." And telling us that penn state was so much better in the 60s.

After the game we headed downtown to our favorite bar to catch up with some old friends and pretend we were students again (well some of my friends still are on school....) 

But honestly it was just too cold there and I was kind of glad to leave....

The California Christmas Tree

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (even though it's 70 degrees) Outside too....

T-shirt quilt

One of the things I was most excited about coming home was getting my tshirt quilt that my mom made me. 4 years of tshirts, from THON to Football to Mysic Festivals to food science, I think this covers my college career. Thanks mom! 

On my way home!

East coast here I come!

Soccer Tournament

Tonight was the final tournament for my soccer team's Fall Season. Because we did so well we got bumped up to the A league. 

Things didn't go so well. We lost in the semi-finals after being up 1-0 the whole game. The other team made 2 awesome last minute goals and we fell apart. It was very depressing. 

Oh well. Next season starts in 8 weeks! Time to start training! 

Sunday Road Trip

Since it is late November and a lazy Sunday, my friend Agata and I did what anyone would do on such a day. We went to the beach! 

Specifically, Santa Barbara. Just a 2 hour drive out of town. 

First stop food! We found another Diner, Drive In and Dives places called Mac's Fish and Chips 

Easily the greatest fish and chips I've ever had. But I've never been to England. 

We walked around town for a while. There were tons of cool shops to check out. My personal favorite was a little record store.

 But we finally got to the reason behind out trip: chilling on the beach in 77 degree weather.

The water was freezing so we didn't do any swimming. We did walk for a while though. 

We then went up to a little cliff side cafe for drinking and snacks 

And finally watched the sunset over the water

Overall it was a very relaxing day. I still can't believe this week is Thanksgiving. It feels like early September here! I'm going to freeze when I go home.

Listen to Serial Right Now

Over the past week I have been hearing bits and pieces about this new podcast called Serial. I ignored all the buzz as I am not really a podcast person, they tend to put me to sleep. But my Aunt texted me about it and said it was addicting so I googled it. 

The easy summary of Serial is that its a reporter looking into a 15 year old murder and reporting her findings in an olde timey radio kind of way. And its a true story. But she does it in a way that you can't. stop. listening. Today, I laid on my flood just listening to the case unfold for two hours straight. I didn't even realize that much time went by. I was so engrossed in the story. It was like Netflix for my ears.

I don't want to say anything more, and prefer to let people get addicted on their own. I already got a few people to listen to it, mainly because I need people to argue the finer points of the mystery with. Who is guilty? Who is innocent? I change my mind every episode.

Here is the link: http://serialpodcast.org/season-one/1/the-alibi

Warning: Don't listen to all eight episodes in two days like I did. It is agonizing that I have to wait until Thursday until the next installment. I went on to some forums to read what other people were thinking about the case just to fill the emptiness.

Good thing this week at work is nuts so I won't have time to think about how long until the next episode is posted!

Stay tuned for my first plant trial, rock climbing, and my soccer team's fight for a championship trophy all this week! (if all goes to plan. things are always changing here!)

Nothing.

Today, I did nothing. It was awesome.

My second job

Because I don't understand the concept of standing still, I picked up a second job! I'm a game day assistant for the local minor league hockey team.

I was really sad that I only got one season of working for penn state hockey, and through a friend heard that the Condors were always looking for help.so a few emails later, and boom! Second job.

This weekend has 3 games so it's a lot to learn fast. Luckily I'm doing a lot like I use to for penn state, promos and intermission games. But mainly I'm in the zambonie tunnel watching hockey. The condors are having a great start to the season and everyone is already talking championship! 

First Friday

Last night 3 of my friends and I headed downtown for First Friday! 

First Friday was an art street fair that takes place downtown the first Friday of every month. There were lots of cool things to buy (which I didn't) 

One of my favorites was wallets made from old comic books. 

There was a really cool henna artist so the four of us each got one. Luckily they fade in a week so our bosses won't get mad :) 

We then went to the local noodle bar so I could get my favorite food, Pho!

I couldn't believe there was such good Vietnamese cuisine in the middle of the desert. It wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was still really good!

Afterward we headed to a dive bar to check out a local band. They were awesome with a full horn section and a mixture of salsa music and big band Jazz.

Bakersfield continues to surprise me with how much it has despite being known as a not-so-great place to live. There is so much here once you really start to look! 

Halloween!

I My first major holiday in California! It was quite an interesting night. First, the biggest news...it rained last night!!! It was the first rain here in 18 months. Crazy.

So I started off at my co-workers party. 

She was Jessica Rabbit. My other friend is also a Katie and she is on my soccer team. I was lame this year and was just a pirate after I found a cheap costume at a consignment shop. 

The party was mostly married people, so my one younger friend came and "kidnapped" me to go to bars. We went to a haunted hotel that was built in the 20s. They were having a burlesque-themed halloween party. It was pretty cool.

There were girls on stilts

And fire eaters 

And an awesome live band

And this crazy performer

It was a really cool party. We ended up meeting some other young people from Nestle and made new friends. 

The craziest was I met a guy who went to my rival high school. It's a small world. 

And the best part was running out in the rain at the end of the night. I didn't realize how much I missed it. 

It was a very fun evening. Whoever told me there was nothing to do in Bakersfield was very wrong.