Adventuring // 16th Street Stairs & Grand View Park in San Francisco

 

^ view from the top of the 16th Street Stairs ^

 

^ if you have vertigo, hang on tight. these stairs be steep. ^

 

^ someone left their heart in San Francisco. heh heh. ^

^ Monterey cypress trees! love these. ^

^ not for the faint of heart, though it's really not as bad as it looks. ^

^ this one had to take a break halfway up to "fix her sock." riiight. O.o ^

 

^ the Golden Gate Bridge (L) & the Transamerica Building (R) downtown. they aren't next to each other at all, but somehow I lined up those hills perfectly, eh? ^

 

^ Sutro Tower ^

^ 16th Street Stairs from the bottom. my fave. ^

^ fan of succulents? this is for you. ^

Exploring hidden gems of San Francisco // short hikes.

---

Who: Mom & I

Where: 16th Street Stairs & Grand View Park in San Francisco's Inner Sunset District

When: Monday at 2:30 PM

The Place: Hidden amidst the older residential neighborhoods of San Francisco, there lies a stairway to the heavens, from the depths of the ocean straight up into the sky. Wow, that sounds dramatic. But really, the 16th Street Stairs are a thing of beauty, a giant mosaic with hundreds of thousands of tiny multi-colored tiles pieced together to create an awesome work of art.

The view of San Francisco once you reach the top is just as impressive, and if you'd like to see 360-degrees of the city below, you need only walk up a little farther to the aptly-named Grand View Park.

There are two routes up the hill to the lookout; this time around, my mother and I took the winding wooden staircase. For those of you intimidated by the number of stairs, never fear! There are frequent platform landings and a few of them have wooden green benches so weary climbers can rest.

Once you've reached the pinnacle {which makes this sound like a really tall mountainous climb, but it's not. by San Francisco standards, this is just a small hill}, you can see pretty much the entire city, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean to your left and the Bay to your right.
 
The Appeal: These places are worth your time and effort because...

+ Truly excellent views. Rather awe-inspiring and very photogenic. While there weren't any fog or clouds the day we were there, I'd imagine you'd be above them when they blanket the city. Or you could see the fog rolling in from the ocean. That's pretty cool.

+ Exercise! A few times up and down these hills and you're set for the week. (:

+ If you're visiting from out of town and want to see something a little more hush-hush and out-of-the-way {read: less tourist-trappy, more local}, this is one of those places. It's quiet. Like, really quiet. There are benches to just sit and take in the scenery. I'd say we only passed by about twelve to fifteen people the entire time we were there {almost an hour}, so you don't have to worry about screaming kids or people getting in your picture.

Tips: A few things to keep in mind when you visit...

+ There is no designated parking lot for either of these locations {at least that I know of}, but there should be plenty of street parking if you're visiting during the day, since many of the locals are at work. I'm not sure why you'd come here at night; the views would still be great, but you'd be climbing those stairs in the dark-- I didn't see any lampposts. So.

+ I'm one of those strange people who have no qualms about going up long flights of stairs, but when I try to head back down, my knees get all wobbly for fear of missing a step and plummeting to my demise {or just looking silly tripping down stairs, but you know}. If you have the same problem, know that the views from the top are so worth the amount of time it takes to slowly and cautiously pick your way down the hill.

+ If you can, try to come with a native San Franciscan. Because you can see most of the city from Grand View Park, it's fun to have a guide who can point out different landmarks down below and give you little tidbits about the history or some anecdote they have from their time here. Both my parents grew up in San Francisco, so we could have stood here all day, but our previously-scheduled appointment was calling. Next time, next time.

+ The top of Grand View Park isn't paved, so be forewarned that it's rather rocky and uneven up there. Not crazily so, but it's definitely not flat.

+ It wasn't very windy at either of these places when we went. I'm not sure if that just happened to be the weather that day or if it's because we were just on the non-windy side of the hill. Just an observation.

Conclusion: This really is one of my favorite spots in the city. Granted, I haven't done that much exploring around here; as a kid of two San Francisco natives, I tend to only come into the city when visiting relatives at family get-togethers {it's that weird thing where you don't go to touristy places when you've lived there forever}.

But still, it's so awesome to be driving around a completely residential neighborhood {my uncle lives nearby}, turn a corner, and BAM. Gorgeous tiled staircase going straight up a giant hill. It catches you off-guard. "Unexpected" would be my first description of the place. It's a spot that you stumble across while lost and go, "Whoaaa. This. This is just..."

Come visit! And then you can feel all San Francisco-y for knowing about something few others do.

--

16th Street Stairs 
1700 16th Ave {between Noriega St & Moraga St}

San Francisco, California 94122 

Grand View Park 
Moraga St & 14th Ave

San Francisco, California 94122

{none of these pictures were edited in any way. these places are just that amazing}.

Foodie Adventuring // Polly Ann Ice Cream in San Francisco

 ^ Driving down Noriega, past Sunset, to get to Polly Ann. Look at that ocean view! ^

 ^ Hi, Mom!^

^ Is it weird that I took a picture of the ceiling? Nahhh. Perfectly normal.

{This is the kind of thing you can expect when you foodie adventure with me. Hee.} ^

 ^ Don't mess. (: ^

 ^ My single scoop of Coffee Fluff. Note the marshmallow bit. ^

 ^ Mom's double scoop of Banana (L) and Rum Raisin (R). ^

 ^ EXCITEMENT. ^

^ This never happens. I had to document the number of available parking spaces. ^

Mid-day lunch-substitute with Mom between several prior appointments.

---

Who: Mom & I

Where: Polly Ann Ice Cream in San Francisco's Outer Sunset District

When: Monday at 12:45 PM

The Restaurant: Polly Ann Ice Cream has been around San Francisco for over half a century {my dad likes to say it was born when he was}, but has only resided in this specific location since 2005. As a San Francisco native, my mother reminisced about its previous location while we were there Monday and how it was part of her childhood back then. You know it's good when it's been around this long.

You could easily pass by its current location, on the corner of Noriega and 39th, without ever giving it a second glance; there is no giant beautiful sign proclaiming the deliciousness of the inhabitant, the beige and dusty rose exterior paint isn't exactly eye-catching, and the building itself looks like just your average, ordinary, everyday modern apartment complex {name that song}. From the outside, there's nothing that would convince you to stop your car, find a parking spot, and spontaneously walk in.

Unless you happened to be in the know. In which case, you too would be willing to double park and send your passenger-seat-companion dashing in for some ice cream, like the retirement home transportation bus idling on the street when we arrived. Them seniors know what's up, man.

When you enter the ever-open double doors of Polly Ann Ice Cream, you immediately think, "WOW, that's very pink," and then "Oooh, that's a lot of flavors!" The day we stopped by, there was only one tiny, older Chinese lady behind the counter, but she was an expert at keeping the ever-growing line of school kids and their parents flowing quickly {sidenote: what private school nearby lets their elementary kids roam free at 12:30 on a Monday afternoon? O.o}.

The decor has changed since I was last there-- back in middle school, the walls used to be lined with newspaper articles extolling the virtues of Polly Ann's unusual flavors, tongue-in-cheek quotes about ice cream, and suggestions for songs to play on your first date, your wedding, your tenth anniversary, your fiftieth anniversary, etc. So many things to look at while you waited patiently in line for your turn at the counter. There were bar stools along the left side {very fifties diner} and a few tables to the right.

Nowadays, the walls have been repainted, the bar stools replaced with more table seating, and most of the signs have been taken down. A few favorites remain {like the one I adore pictured above}, but in general, Polly Ann has become a little less kitschy, a little more mature. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, however much I may miss the visual stimulation, because now you notice the amount of natural light that shines in from the large windows {all you fellow foodie photographers out there, take note}.

There is no outdoor seating here, since this IS San Francisco and if you're going to insist on eating your frozen treat outside, you'll probably take it somewhere more scenic than this mostly residential neighborhood. You can, however, seek refuge inside Polly Ann at one of the four round tables which seat four people each. Groups larger than that might want to take their ice cream to go... or just hope that it's a slow day and you can claim all the tables for yourselves. If you're here with kids in tow, you will probably have to order for them because the counter is pretty high {almost shoulder height on 5'2'' me}, so they won't be able to see very well.

And if you're one of those people who can't decide which flavor to choose {my mom has trouble when there's 31 flavors, let alone the 50 that Polly Ann has on a regular day}, don't fret! The Wheel of Fate awaits you! Behind the counter is a giant wheel lined with all the flavors available that day, along with a few spaces that offer you free ice cream. If you decide to live life on the edge and spin the wheel, you could get something normal {like strawberry cheesecake} or something you never thought to try in a million years {durian, anyone?}. But regardless of what the Wheel of Fate decides for you, you have to buy that flavor or the flavors adjacent, unless you really lucked out and spun "free scoop."
 
The Food: Polly Ann knows ice cream. If you've ever been to a Ranch 99 {or 99 Ranch if you're from SoCal}, you've probably seen their mango and lychee and taro flavors in the freezer aisle. The 50 flavors on the wall in the shop will vary on a day-to-day basis, though some of the more well-known options remain constant. Milkshakes and sundaes are on the menu as well, if that's your thing.

Trouble narrowing down your choices? Again, you could go the Wheel of Fate route OR you could simply ask to sample a few. If something sounds intriguing, you might as well see if you like it before going full-steam-ahead and getting a double scoop of something called Star Wars {mint with rainbow marshmallows, I hear} or Bumpy Freeway {rocky road}.

This time around, my mother decided on a double scoop {price: $4 for 2-3 flavors} in a cup-- one scoop of Banana, one of Rum Raisin, neither of which I desired to try. Her verdict was that the banana was a little light, but the rum raisin was amazing. Typical of semi-pretend-mature me, I got a single scoop {price: $2.95 for 1-2 flavors} of Coffee Fluff, which was coffee ice cream with mini marshmallows. It was pretty good, although maybe not the most adventurous choice.

The ice cream itself has a harder, more dense texture, so if you're a fan of soft-serve or gelato, this is not quite like that. {Sidenote: the lady behind the counter must have arm muscles of steel because I can't imagine it's easy scooping endless cups of rock solid ice cream all day}. The flavors tend to be pretty spot-on though, so rum raisin really will taste like rum raisin, green tea really tastes like green tea, black sesame really tastes like black sesame, etc.

Polly Ann has a decently wide selection of candy available to the left of the main counter, for those of you who aren't ice cream people {do those people exist? how sad}. Take-home quarts of their most popular flavors and cakes are in a small freezer to the right. And if you happen to stop by with your dog... THEY OFFER DOGGY ICE CREAM CONES. One mini scoop of vanilla in a mini waffle cone per canine. I like dog-friendly places. They're good people.

The Conversation: Because we were here in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, it was an after-school elementary crowd; think kindergarteners with their doting grandparents and older kids in groups stopping by sans parentals to get something to eat before walking home.

Due to the high traffic and high-pitched chatter surrounding us, as well as the fact that we had to be somewhere within half an hour, my mother and I didn't have a lot of deep conversation. Mostly I just eavesdropped on the table behind us {those almost-middle-schoolers. they're the worst. and amazingly hilarious} while Mom concentrated on her ice cream.

My favorite overheard conversation of the day?
Boy #1: Is it jaah-va or jay-va? I just got it because it seemed cool.
Boy #2: It's jay-va.

I mean.

It's one thing to be really, really incorrect. It's a whole 'nother story when someone backs up that mistake and reinforces that incorrectness. Yikes. These kids are growing up in San Francisco and they've never heard of JAVA before? How is that possible.

Conclusion: I may not have tried all the places listed as "Best Ice Cream in San Francisco" {nor do I necessarily agree with their choices}, but I do feel like this is a fantastic place to visit if you have friends in town and they don't want to wait in the media-hyped lines of the more downtown-located shops. Plus, because Polly Ann is located in a more residential area, it's better for all you SF natives {especially those with small kidlets}.

If those aren't good enough reasons to go here, you could view it like a hipster and think, "not everyone knows about this place. I could be cool. I could be different. I COULD KNOW SOMETHING OTHERS DON'T. sold."

There's street-parking only, so if all the spots available in front are taken, you might have to circle the block a few times {I'm talking at night and on weekends. if you go when we did, there's spaces everywhere}. They also don't accept bills larger than twenties, so make sure you've got small bills or a credit card. There's a small restroom on the right side of the shop if you need it.

Overall, Polly Ann Ice Cream is a San Francisco tradition from a different generation. It's quieter and less well-known by the current foodie crowd, but very well loved and frequented by the families who have lived in the city their entire lives. It's small, unpretentious, and friendly. And their ice cream is pretty darn amazing. One of my favorites.

--

Polly Ann Ice Cream

3138 Noriega Street

San Francisco, California 94122

Overheard // Cauliflower Mix

Stranger: What a pretty doggy you have! What kind is she?

Me, age 4: *proudly* A cauliflower mix.

Stranger: A what? I've never heard of that kind before... *looks at my parents*

Mom: *super amused* A border collie mix.

Stranger: Ohhhh.

Be Careful You Don't Turn Into Something You Hate

In the past few days, I have heard at least two openly gay men and several gay-rights supporters say something that would surprise a lot of people.

 

The first time was when I read this via Humans of New York, and since the interviewee's words were pretty impactful, I'm going to put it here as well {although, make sure to check out the rest of HONY's posts because Brandon Stanton's work is amazing}. The man put it like this:

"I know this isn’t going to be a popular opinion, but I’m gay, and I don’t think there’s nearly as much discrimination as people claim. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve experienced discrimination. But it hasn’t been a huge factor in my life. I feel like a lot of people bring discrimination on themselves by getting in people’s faces too much. They like to say: ‘Accept me or else!’ They go around demanding respect as a member of a group, instead of earning respect as an individual. And that sort of behavior invites discrimination. I’ve never demanded respect because I was gay, and I haven’t experienced much discrimination when people find out that I am."

 

The second time was during my Graphic Arts class while talking with a friend. He said:

 

"I don't understand all this media hoopla about the sports athletes coming out as gay. I came out when I was a teenager and I'm almost sixty now. It was such a different story back then. Now, like, everyone's coming out, all the time, every day. That's not news. Sometimes I wonder if the backlash and "hate" isn't something they're bringing upon themselves because they're expecting it and projecting what they expect onto people who just want to be left alone. Like, even I'm getting tired of hearing about it-- AND I'M GAY. Love who you want to love, live how you want to live, but why are you forcing it into my life? Being gay nowadays isn't half as hard as it was in the past, so why are you making it such a thing? People support us now. People stand up for us now. Calm the eff down."

 

I may not be very PC to say this, but I understand where they're coming from with this. I'm not gay, but I just spent the last four years at college and live in an area that's veryveryvery supportive of the lifestyle {San Francisco much?}. I've seen the way pro-gay-rights supporters attack others who have a differing opinion on the subject and it's like, for people who say they're being discriminated against and that people are hating on you, you sure are doing a convincing job of looking like the attacker.

 

I don't get it. Especially in California which is so very liberal. I simply don't understand how being intolerant of differing viewpoints sets you apart from those you say are being "close-minded conservatives." People believe different things, fact of life. But if they're not getting in your face, why are you in theirs? How is yelling at them and calling them awful names and becoming physically violent or destructive helping your cause? Isn't that the exact type of behavior that was so horrifying back in the sixties, when it was the other way around and you would have been on the receiving end of all that? Why would you perpetuate that kind of behavior AT ALL, towards ANYONE?

 

Even now, as I type this, I'm dreading pushing that "Publish" button, because I know what kind of backlash and anger I'll get from people who perceive ANY differing viewpoint as an attack on them. And the thing is, I'm not even actually attacking anyone. All I'm asking is for people to consider the way they are acting towards others before flying off the handle. I should not have to be apprehensive about publishing this for fear that irrational, judgmental human beings will target me as a "threat" of some sort.

 

Getting vicious won't change people's minds about their views on gay-rights. If anything, they can now just add "schoolyard bully" to their stereotype of gay-rights activists. Wouldn't it be more constructive to try to change their minds by twarting their expectations? Wouldn't it be more useful to have them meet someone who is interested in a conversation and discussion about the topic instead of instantly losing it and cutting them off the moment they express their view?

I just don't understand why people feel that getting uber-defensive is the way to go. I know that there is discrimination out there. Just like I know that racism and classism and sexism still exist. I know that there are exceptions to every rule, because I've met gay-rights activists who are completely calm and willing to explain their view and listen to opposing views without getting angry or belligerent. But in my experience, they seem to be few and far between. Or at least, much less vocal than the other voices shouting down anyone who asks a question or states a differing opinion.

 

I'm not ignoring the other side of this. I'm not saying that there aren't people out there who do discriminate against gays and behave like this is the sixties. I'm not saying that there aren't intolerant individuals out there who are adamant that gays are an awful, terrible group of people and instantly check out the moment someone says they're gay. Those people aren't right either.

 

I simply want to remind people that getting in others' faces doesn't help the situation and activism doesn't equal discrimination of the opposing view. Just because others are behaving badly doesn't mean you need to behave just as badly in return. Everybody CALM DOWN and act like adults. Please.

Dear Potential Employer

Dear Potential Employer,

I received your email today, informing me that you and I are not a correct match. I can't say I didn't see this coming. The fact that I hadn't received a confirmation, "yay-come-in-for-an-on-site-interview!" email "sometime early next week," as predicted by my second interviewer, was a hint. Some say no news is good news and I really tried hard to convince myself of that these past few days, all the while knowing deep down that that isn't always true. It feels dramatic to say that I could physically feel my heart sinking every day I didn't see your email in my inbox, but I'm sadly not even exaggerating.

I am disappointed. So very, very, keenly disappointed. Of course, one doesn't tell you that outright when emailing a "thanks-for-taking-the-time-to-interview-me-best-of-luck-keep-me-in-mind-if-anything-else-arises" response to rejection. One simply states, "I am disappointed, but I understand." Even when it feels like the understatement of the year.

I really wanted this. Call me cliche, call me silly, call me naive, but this really was my dream job. Not only the position, which I would have excelled at, by the way, but the company. You guys are big enough to make a difference, small enough to care for the individual. You haven't outgrown your start-up status, which, in a world where Google and Facebook are becoming increasingly sketchy and secretive, is refreshing because you still feel accountable to the public and are willing to be more transparent with your employees and your users.

I never got the chance to fully explain to you why I'm so interested in the tech industry. Oh, I glanced over it during our interviews and in my cover letter, but with time so tight, I didn't go in depth with my explanation. Well, now I've got the time. So.

Most kids who come out of UCLA as Communication majors tend to go straight into the entertainment industry. It's one of the biggest industries in SoCal, so it just seems logical. And while I've done internships on the fringes of the entertainment industry and love the people who work within it, I myself really wanted to come back up to the Bay Area and find something in the tech business.

Now, I will readily admit that I'm not the most tech-savvy person, nor the quickest adopter of new things. For crying out loud, I used Internet Explorer all the way into college. But I've seen firsthand these past four years how rapidly technology is changing and how useful these new things are in making every day life easier for so many people around the world. The Bay Area and the companies it nurtures are doing so many great things and I want to be a part of it. There are endless opportunities to grow and expand your company's product and its reach and I wanted to help you guys do that.

But it's not only the infinite possibilities that drew me to the tech industry. It's also the fact that at its heart, regardless of the fact that the people involved tend to disproportionately lean towards the male persuasion, the tech industry is a meritocracy. It's about the ideas and the drive and the ambition. It's about the know-how and the abilities of its people and the fun you can have while working. It's about changing lives in quiet ways and big ways and making a difference. It's about giving back and seeing what your limits are and pushing your way past them to ever higher heights. It's about promise and potential and the "maybe's." It's about taking a chance and risking it all and sometimes failing, but always learning and moving forward. It's about being challenged and meeting it head-on and coming out the other end better for having faced it. It's about innovation and collaboration and creativity.

As I've said, I interned within the entertainment industry. And I've seen the resignation with which people sometimes go about their jobs. They aren't excited to go to work, they don't always feel like their opinion matters or that they're making a difference out in the world. The entertainment industry IS quite superficial-- not the people, mind you, but the topic-- and I have a hard time seeing myself thriving within its constraints. It is fun, don't get me wrong, and it can be cool to think you work in the same building as so many large companies with celebrities walking in and out every day, but it doesn't have my heart. I don't know how else to explain it besides that.

I'd love to know what I did incorrectly during our two interviews and various emails. I know it's futile to ask, "What was wrong with me? Why wasn't I good enough? What did the person you hire have that I don't?" when it isn't about me and it's about the position and who's the best person for the job. Logically, I know that. This isn't personal. It's professional. I know. I know, I know, I know. But knowing that it may not be my fault, and that someone just had a better resume/interview than I did, doesn't stop those questions from popping into the back of my mind. I can't help it.

Because everything I've read about your company, everything listed in the job description, everything on my resume, in my cover letter, during our interviews, everything points to the fact that I could have done you proud. I have the past experience and knowledge, the enthusiasm and the determination, the understanding that comes from interning with a PR firm of just how important representing the company AT ALL TIMES really is. I am the calm in the midst of chaos, who handles the problem and gets everything done with a smile. I am organized beyond belief when it comes to all things professional-- I will never lose an email or a document file, so when you need something right now, I'll have it on hand within moments.

I look for ways to make things more efficient or proceed more smoothly, and I will make suggestions on how to bring those things about. I am easy-going, like conversing with strangers, and believe in working as a team to achieve the best result. I am more than okay with strange work hours, am willing to work my way up from the bottom, and don't think that small tasks are "beneath me." I'm responsible, I'm dependable, I'm trustworthy, I'm hardworking, and if those sound like extremely boring adjectives, then so be it. What I do isn't for self-affirmation, but for the good of the company. And I will always, ALWAYS put my best effort into what I do.

All I need is a chance. And I understand that this wasn't my chance right now. Right this moment, with this particular job position, this is someone else's chance. And I'm excited for them. I truly, truly am. I don't begrudge them the position, nor am I angry that you chose them over me. I get it, I do. They were what's best for the company right here and now, and I was not. As recruiters, you make tough decisions like this every day and I admire the fortitude it takes to be the bearer of bad news so often with so many candidates applying for so few jobs. My only hope is that one day it WILL be my chance. And that when it arrives I will see it and be ready for it and make the most of the grand opportunity I've been given.

I really do thank you. You have been nothing but sweet and helpful during this entire process and I do appreciate the time you spent on each individual candidate. I am disappointed that this wasn't my chance, but I'm not devastated or defeated. I do hope I've made a good impression this first time around, because I fully intend to apply for other positions within this company. Like I said, dream job. And how remiss would I be to pass up other chances to have that dream job simply because of one setback?

Best of luck to you, dear potential employer. And thank you again for considering me these last few weeks. It's been a ride.

Samantha. 

Webcam Sessions // In Which Telemarketers, Zac Efron, & Twirl-tacular Mustaches Make an Appearance

The Thing yesterday went pretty well. I now have a Related Thing this Friday. Auuuugh! *fingers crossed*

In order to prepare for The Thing yesterday, Steph kindly agreed to webcam with me Sunday night to make sure Skype was working properly. Here's what happened.

+ We started late. As per normal.

+ After playing around with the audio settings for a while, we came to the grand conclusion that my dad's office headphones/microphone headset came across the clearest. When I told him this afterwards, he was like, "No, duh. They're about $200. I should HOPE they work well. O.o" So. Yeah. Thanks for letting me borrow those, Dad.

+ Although I looked like a telemarketer, so. Hmm. "On a scale of one to ten, how happy were you with your service?"

+ We invited Mickey to join in the webcam session. Because neither of us had seen the girl in ages and we missed her dimples.

+ Gathering the three of us together resulted in watching Zac Efron and One Direction music videos. Granted, the Zac Efron one was the "Let It Go"/Idina Menzel parody, but still. MEH-lo-drah-MAHTIC much?

+ Stephen and Tommy joined in after a bit.

+ Mickey then proceeded to open the Pandora's Box that is Google Effects. SO. HILARIOUSLY. AWFUL.

+ Let's just say that it's hard to take people seriously when they have a giant party hat, an eyepatch, and a twirl-tacular mustache hiding their face.

+ I signed off later than planned. As per normal.

Love these kids. They silly. I'll let you know if the Related Thing goes well!

Best to Keep It Hush-Hush

I'm one of those annoying people who keeps big news hush-hush until everything's settled and been decided... and then still don't tell you about it and let you find out on your own.

Sometimes this can drive my friends batty 'cause they're like, "WHATWHENHOW. WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE AND WHY HAVEN'T YOU TOLD ME THIS BEFORE???"

So in a small effort to at least keep people semi-updated: I've got a thing today. I'd deeply appreciate a fingers crossed for this thing. The final results of this thing aren't immediate though, so you probably won't hear about this again for a while. If the results are good, there are still several steps that need to be completed before I'll mention this again. And if the results are icky, you probably won't hear about it ever again... {because I really hate the pitying, sorrowful glances people give you when they're like, "ohhh, I'm sorry to hear that didn't work out." I'm fine. It's okay. Moving on now}.

Wow. Way to be cryptic, Sam.

Yeahhh, I'm aware, but that's the best I can do right now. I'm trying, sheesh. (:

--

Title of the post references this song by the Pistol Annies. The content of this post and the lyrics of the song don't have anything in common, but it's super catchy, so...

Overheard // Wedding Advice from My Mother

It started out as a lecture about learning by doing...

Mom: You know, when we were looking for wedding photographers--

Me: Yes, I know. *mimics Mother* When you guys were looking for wedding photographers, you had no clue what you were doing or what you were supposed to be looking for or what the going rate was. By the time you finished meeting with a bunch of potential photographers, you could give their whole spiels yourselves and knew exactly what was reasonable and what was not.

Mom: Exactly. And the moral of the story is?

Me: *deadpan* Do your own wedding photography.

Mom: *exasperated* No.

Me: Hire a friend to do your wedding pictures.

Mom: Nooo... Take selfies, obviously. *hams it up for the imaginary smartphone*

Proof of Night Owl Tendencies

Ask any of my friends {especially the college ones} and they'll tell you "Sam's a night owl."

I'm one of those people who stay up late, but can still wake up early in the morning energized to get to class/internship/work. I tend to work best between 11pm-9am, usually when all is quiet and dark and there are few distractions. Odd, I know.

To demonstrate this lovely ability, here's what I did today {and I was surprisingly productive considering the timeline}:

8:00pm, Thursday night: text the besties about a webcamming session Sunday night; fall asleep like a senior citizen.

1:00am, Friday morning: wake up; watch Thursday's episode of Big Bang Theory on CBS' website, which I missed because I'd fallen asleep; mess around on the computer {stare at my HTML homework and the internship application I need to get done today and wish they would do themselves}.

3:45am, Friday: try to go back to sleep since I wasn't being as productive as I'd like; fail.

4:00am, Friday: realize I'm hungry and definitely not going back to sleep; empty the inbox and clear Firefox of Pinterest tabs; fold a load of clean laundry.

4:55am, Friday: Dad leaves to go fishing with his brother.

5:00am, Friday: head downstairs with my computer, its charger, and my phone to work at a real table {everything before this was done sprawled out on my bed, under the covers... well, not the folding laundry, but everything else}; toast half a bagel and drink some blueberry juice; put the clean dishes away; get distracted by the dog; do homework.

7:30am, Friday: decide I should probably try this sleep thing again; hibernate computer; go back to bed.

10:00am, Friday: wake up; let the dog out/feed her; wash the dirty dishes; take an artsy picture of my BruinLife yearbook for Instagram; start that internship application.

12:30pm, Friday: almost done with the application, but get hungry again; eat lunch; let the dog out again; take a short Pinterest break before proofreading the app again.

1:00pm, Friday: Mom comes downstairs and Dad gets back from fishing in the rain; I move upstairs to work because it's too loud downstairs.

2:30pm, Friday: finish application and send it in; blog-reading break.

3:00pm, Friday: go downstairs to run the dog, in the rain {don't worry, both of us had raincoats on}.

3:35pm, Friday: come back in and start up the HTML homework again; wash pans so Mom can cook dinner.

6:00pm, Friday: feed the dog; help Mom with dinner.

6:30pm, Friday: dinner with the parentals while watching Modern Family, then Jeopardy Battle of the Decades.

7:30pm, Friday: return to homework and taking notes.

10:30pm, Friday: call it a night and pack up the homework; dessert!

11:00pm, Friday: get ready for bed; catch up on Twitter articles; look up a few job descriptions.

12:25am, Saturday: start writing this post.

And who knows how long I'll stay up tonight. Still not tired and it's 1:00am. Hmm.

InDesign // Yellow Triangles

I'm taking Photoshop and InDesign classes this semester at the local community college {along with an online HTML class}. And for the InDesign class, our second homework assignment was to create a 5x7in swatch of wallpaper, using various shape-making tools we've learned so far.

Above is my submittal. If any of you follow DesignLoveFest, you know she has a series called "Dress Your Tech" where artists and other graphic designers create computer wallpapers and backgrounds for free download. Yao Cheng Design has some great ones and this "Yellow Triangle" wallpaper is what I have on my personal computer, my phone, and whatever work/intern computer I sit at for longer than five hours. It's my favorite.

So obviously, when our professor said, "Create some wallpaper, go," I immediately started plotting to recreate these yellow triangles.

It was a bit harder than I expected, but I'm happy with the result. Plus, I finished a week early, so yayyy!

On Baby Faces and Small Dogs

Two things from yesterday.

1. The machine that makes ID cards at the community college was finally working again. Which meant I had to go get my picture taken, so I could get my card, so I could use the OpenLab for Graphic Design to get my homework done.

I think the guy taking my picture thought I was, like, seventeen or eighteen. He asked me if this was my first semester at college. When I replied, "No, I've taken another class here before, but the one I'm taking this quarter requires an ID card," he started talking about how we're actually on the semester system and that if I go to a UC, they use the quarter system.

I was like, "Yeahhh. Just came from there. O.o"

He didn't seem convinced.

2. I ran for the BART train yesterday afternoon.

Also, I have a tendency to wear dangly, jingle-bell earrings.

How do these two things relate, you ask?

Well, everyone kept stepping back and looking around curiously as I approached them on the sidewalk because they thought there was a small dog on the loose.

Because my jingly earrings sound suspiciously like dog tags when they're moving back and forth quickly.

It was a little awkward, but I was in a rush and I didn't know these people, so it was okay.

Upside, they all got out of my way which was nice 'cause I was in a hurry.

Downside, they thought I was a small dog. ):

Overheard // JBiebs & the Internet Article Recommendation Conundrum

Mom, reading an article title: Five things your doctor hates about you.

Me: Your phone knows you too well.

Mom: I gotta click on more Justin Bieber articles.

Me: What? Why?

Mom: So the phone thinks I'm younger! Although... Then I'll get really lame article recommendations. ):

NorCal versus SoCal // Rain

It finally rained!

In case you haven't heard, California has been in something of a drought recently. Like... no-real-rain-since-last-winter kind of a drought. And it's already February. So this is bad.

But it rained today in NorCal! Less than half an inch worth, but it's still something.

Zoe and I celebrated by putting on our raincoats and running around outside for over half an hour.

Well, she ran. I stood there and threw the toy.

My dad thought we were nuts.

I thought we barely got wet at all.

Zoe thought THIS IS AMAZING BUT THERE'S WATER IN MY EYE AUGH BUT TOY!

--

I like NorCal rain. It sounds pretty, it's just the right amount of cold outside, and there are storm drains everywhere so the water doesn't flood everything.

SoCal rain, on the other hand, is a WHOLE different ballgame. It's angry {no, really, when it rains, it comes down like it's trying to kill you}, it's sometimes still warm outside so you just get all humid and sticky in your rain gear, and STORM DRAINS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN which result in rushing rivers instead of streets and giant lakes instead of any and all flat surfaces.

Los Angeles is not built to handle rain.

One of the things I've repeated often is that, when we started college, no NorCal-ers owned rainboots, but all the SoCal kids had them.

And they're the ones who tell us that NorCal is this mystical grey, gloomy, cold, rainy place with nothing fun to do and no interesting anything {seriously. I never even realized there was a "feud" between NorCal and SoCal before I went off to college; so obviously, it's a one-sided thing, no? Cause we honestly don't care WHAT they think of us. So there}.

Did you know I finally gave in, after wading ankle deep to get to class for the last time, and bought rainboots Winter Quarter, my senior year?

When the rainboots arrived, the rain stopped. Because that's how these things work.

And then I moved back up to NorCal where rain doesn't require rainboots.

So now I feel silly.

Lesson learned: if you're going off to college in SoCal for four years, get the rainboots early. They'll save so many pairs of your shoes and socks from soaking in nasty street water for the entirety of your three hour class and keep your feet and ankles from freezing and feeling squishy {those wet socks retain water like no other}.

HOWEVER. If you've already survived three years of torrential LA downpour, suck it up and continue to survive for that one last year.

Because getting rainboots your senior year is useless.

Sigh.

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My thoughts on The UCLA Student's Essential Guide to Rain, part one and part two, from 2012.