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....