Awaiting my next departure
My time to start at Fuller is coming and I'm so stoked for it! I can't wait to start reading and writing for class! I know, it sounds mental that I'm looking forward to writing but I really am. When I write I feel like I can go on and on and on and on and not worry about when to stop (kind of like this blog entry). But I'm really apprenhensive about thinking. We're going to have to think about some serious things, things that I really don't often think about nor have had to articulate to others in writing in a clear and thoughtful manner. It's gonna be tough but it's gonna be so good.
I still don't have a car of my own yet and I'm going down to LA this weekend. I'm kinda freaked about that. I've found it to be quite a stressful experience shopping for a used car. There are so many things to watch out for and to check out. And plus, cars aren't small expenses. They cost so much to maintain like buying gas, which is at USD $3/gallon now, maintenance, insurance, time spent driving, accidents, and more. I miss the wonderful public transit of Hong Kong: get on the bus or MTR and just go. You don't have to think about anything.
I can't believe I just finished four weeks with the City of Palo Alto doing the exact same stuff I did before I left for Hong Kong. It's surreal. It's like I took a 2.5 year sabbatical from planning to live in Hong Kong and work for ECC and have since just come back and started things up again. Weird. And things haven't really changed at the City. Many of my same cool co-workers are still there and many of the zoning codes haven't changed. I was on the phone with an client answering some of her questions and I was able to rattle off some sort of coherent answer. After hanging up, my co-worker who'd overheard the entire conversation said that I haven't lost my knowledge at all. Scary to think that I still remember side yard setback distances, height limitations, protective tree regulations, and more.
Being back with the City made me appreciate my old job back at ECC even more. You all know that I loved it but now, I love it even more! So much of planning job is enforcing the law and telling people, "No. Fix it." It's the law so you must abide by it. I've learned that the law doesn't get any simpler, only stricter and more complicated. Law begs for more law. So when does it end? Many thoughts on that...
It's been wonderful seeing so many old friends and family in my time here. I've been hanging out a whole lot with my beloved family. It's been so great. Walking down the street to my cousin's place to walk their dog. Chill'n with my sister while she was home. Seeing old friends. I got to go to a Giant's game. Eat at Hunan homes, our regular Sunday afternoon Chinese restaurant we'd go to after church.
Golf Update
Vic and I played 15 holes on Sunday afternoon. It was sooo great! We walked on, just the two of us at San Jose Muni. Through those fifteen holes I was playing about +1.5 strokes over par per hole. I think I parred three holes! It seemed I was quite on fire (for me). Maybe a little too on fire...
On the 12th hole I teed off thinking the group in front of us was too far out of my reach of my tee shot. I was wrong. I think I hit my tee shot about 230 yards straight down the fairway and it landed right in front of one of the golfers. I felt pretty bad about that and yelled sorry about that one. Then on my second shot I hit a great 3-iron probably 200 yards straight down and I could see it heading for the same group in front of us again so I yelled "fore!" to warn them. I couldn't believe it! Twice in a row! I felt really bad about that. Well, as I approached my ball one of the guys came up to me, visibly tense and wanting a few words with me so as soon as I thought he was within earshot I started apologizing profusely. He was pretty annoyed to say the least but he took my apology and thankfully, he didn't clobber me. So note to self: it's better to wait to make sure the foursome ahead is well out of range before hitting and it never hurts to apologize too much, especially if you think you've almost hit the guy's girlfriend. Yeah, not a good thing.
My prop's go out to Vic. She played well. She hit some really good shots and sank a couple great putts. I look forward to teeing it up with her again in San Diego (hopefully at Torrey Pines. Very nice!).
Elevator Observations
I think the best elevator I've found has got to be the new elevators recently installed into the City of Palo Alto's City Hall. They are fast, they open and close fast, and the close door button actually works when you push it! Finally, my kind of lift!
My Fellow Rooters
Last night I had dinner with my good friends from my 2002 Roots trip. It was on that trip that I got the idea to move to Hong Kong. It was totally great seeing them and hearing about what they're all doing, hearing about this summer's trip, and what we're all planning on doing in the future. They're a great bunch.
Pictures
Many of you have requested that I post more pictures. I'd love to except my digital camera died my first week back in the states. I need to replace it as soon as possible. So if you have any recommendations on digital cameras, I'm all ears!
I still don't have a car of my own yet and I'm going down to LA this weekend. I'm kinda freaked about that. I've found it to be quite a stressful experience shopping for a used car. There are so many things to watch out for and to check out. And plus, cars aren't small expenses. They cost so much to maintain like buying gas, which is at USD $3/gallon now, maintenance, insurance, time spent driving, accidents, and more. I miss the wonderful public transit of Hong Kong: get on the bus or MTR and just go. You don't have to think about anything.
I can't believe I just finished four weeks with the City of Palo Alto doing the exact same stuff I did before I left for Hong Kong. It's surreal. It's like I took a 2.5 year sabbatical from planning to live in Hong Kong and work for ECC and have since just come back and started things up again. Weird. And things haven't really changed at the City. Many of my same cool co-workers are still there and many of the zoning codes haven't changed. I was on the phone with an client answering some of her questions and I was able to rattle off some sort of coherent answer. After hanging up, my co-worker who'd overheard the entire conversation said that I haven't lost my knowledge at all. Scary to think that I still remember side yard setback distances, height limitations, protective tree regulations, and more.
Being back with the City made me appreciate my old job back at ECC even more. You all know that I loved it but now, I love it even more! So much of planning job is enforcing the law and telling people, "No. Fix it." It's the law so you must abide by it. I've learned that the law doesn't get any simpler, only stricter and more complicated. Law begs for more law. So when does it end? Many thoughts on that...
It's been wonderful seeing so many old friends and family in my time here. I've been hanging out a whole lot with my beloved family. It's been so great. Walking down the street to my cousin's place to walk their dog. Chill'n with my sister while she was home. Seeing old friends. I got to go to a Giant's game. Eat at Hunan homes, our regular Sunday afternoon Chinese restaurant we'd go to after church.
Golf Update
Vic and I played 15 holes on Sunday afternoon. It was sooo great! We walked on, just the two of us at San Jose Muni. Through those fifteen holes I was playing about +1.5 strokes over par per hole. I think I parred three holes! It seemed I was quite on fire (for me). Maybe a little too on fire...
On the 12th hole I teed off thinking the group in front of us was too far out of my reach of my tee shot. I was wrong. I think I hit my tee shot about 230 yards straight down the fairway and it landed right in front of one of the golfers. I felt pretty bad about that and yelled sorry about that one. Then on my second shot I hit a great 3-iron probably 200 yards straight down and I could see it heading for the same group in front of us again so I yelled "fore!" to warn them. I couldn't believe it! Twice in a row! I felt really bad about that. Well, as I approached my ball one of the guys came up to me, visibly tense and wanting a few words with me so as soon as I thought he was within earshot I started apologizing profusely. He was pretty annoyed to say the least but he took my apology and thankfully, he didn't clobber me. So note to self: it's better to wait to make sure the foursome ahead is well out of range before hitting and it never hurts to apologize too much, especially if you think you've almost hit the guy's girlfriend. Yeah, not a good thing.
My prop's go out to Vic. She played well. She hit some really good shots and sank a couple great putts. I look forward to teeing it up with her again in San Diego (hopefully at Torrey Pines. Very nice!).
Elevator Observations
I think the best elevator I've found has got to be the new elevators recently installed into the City of Palo Alto's City Hall. They are fast, they open and close fast, and the close door button actually works when you push it! Finally, my kind of lift!
My Fellow Rooters
Last night I had dinner with my good friends from my 2002 Roots trip. It was on that trip that I got the idea to move to Hong Kong. It was totally great seeing them and hearing about what they're all doing, hearing about this summer's trip, and what we're all planning on doing in the future. They're a great bunch.
Pictures
Many of you have requested that I post more pictures. I'd love to except my digital camera died my first week back in the states. I need to replace it as soon as possible. So if you have any recommendations on digital cameras, I'm all ears!
posted by Brian at
11:04 PM
2 Comments:
Hi Brian,
Bob Jones here. Yeah, 'thinking' that has always been an issue hasnt' it? Har, har. har...Glad you're excited and anxious-it makes a good mix. Outside of academics one's mind does turn to mush. Wait to you get as old as me-one big bowl of oatmeal between the ears...
Great golf shots-don't apologize next time. Tell em you're on the tour and to get a life. Ms. Vaudrey is presently sitting across the table from me in our dining room offering snide remarks. We'll talk once you get your life organized at Fuller and you're in your classes. Want to hear more.
Yours,
Bob.
By
Anonymous, at Sat Sep 17, 09:24:00 AM PDT
sounds like you are going through what i just went through.
cars...school...being back in california.
godspeed friend.
-cr
By
Anonymous, at Sat Sep 17, 11:34:00 PM PDT
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