ONE LESS STUDENT LOAN

++ ONE LESS STUDENT loan! One to go! Almost there... ++

28 THINGS FOR 28 YEARS

++ I'M OFFICIALLY IN the heart of my late 20's. A list of 28 things I never thought I'd be doing right now. One for every year I've been alive.

01. Living in Seattle.
02. Working full-time for four years at various architecture offices.
03. Have a place that I own.
04. Commute daily to work by walking.
05. Have a cadre of Persian friends.
06. Play flag football literally under the Space Needle.
07. Referee indoor soccer.
08. Use an umbrella instead of rain jacket.
09. Own a Blackberry.
10. Have a vast majority of my male old school friends be married.
11. Have none of my female old school friends be married.
12. Be tired of road trips and pick flying instead any day.
13. Be in not one, but two curling leagues.
14. Have a Washington driver's license.
15. Have Washington license plates.
16. Be registered to vote in the State of Washington.
17. Know someone who has bought and donated an art installation at the Seattle Art Museum.
18. Be the the 'old guy' on any soccer team, let alone two of them.
19. Be the only person in the office with ties to Ohio.
20. Have other native Asians work in the same office.
21. Be in a relationship with a girl from Washington.
22. Consider myself a left coaster.
23. Not be disappointed, not necessarily happy, but not disappointed when it rains.
24. Only monetarily able to visit my family a few times a year.
25. Think 85 degrees outside is hot.
26. Think 35 degrees outside is cold.
27. Find solace in a tall drip.
28. Know I'm headed down the 'right' path to wherever I'm headed. ++

WASHINGTON DRIVER'S LICENSE

++ FINALLY GOT MY Washington driver's license today. Finally. Getting to the DMV wasn't a problem. However, waiting for an hour and eighteen minutes was a bit cumbersome. Well, that and the fourty-five dollars it cost me. I'm slowly switching out old Ohio stuff for new Washington stuff. Last year was the license plates. This year is the driver's license. Oh, also last year was the new condo, well, not new new, but new for me. Oh yeah and last year was switching my voter's registration from Greene County, Ohio to King County, Washington. Who knows, next year I may even finally switch my telephone number from a 937 number to a 206 number. No, that's crazy talk. ++

SEATTLE WAS OHIO FOR A WEEKEND

++ THIS PAST WEEKEND Seattle had an identity crisis and temporarily thought it was Ohio. Friday brought cold, but not cold cold, just a little below average Seattle beginning of December cold. However after Friday was when she thought it was a Midwestern state. Saturday morning was cold, upper 30's. Then around noon it started snowing. And not just Seattle snowing, which is minimal, but huge huge flakes snowing. Sideways and heavy. This lasted all day and finally sticking, leaving behind maybe a quarter inch of slushy snow. The evening temperature warmed and the snow turned into a cold rain, eventually melting the rest of the snow. Sunday morning was a brief spell of snow, quickly dispelled into an outright rain, Ohio style, but not warm. Blah blah blah.

Monday was the second highest recorded rainfall in a day in the history of recorded rainfalls for Seattle. Oh, but it warmed to 59 degrees. Snow one day. Almost 60 degrees the next day. I heart Seattle weather!

"The rain was tapering off in Seattle this evening, according to the National Weather Service. And that meant the one-day rainfall record in Seattle, last set four years ago, would probably stand. The last record was 5.02 inches at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, set Oct. 20, 2003. The weather service today said 3.46 inches of rain fell at Sea-Tac between midnight and 3 p.m. today. Even so, Seattle city officials noted that more than 5.8 billion gallons of water have fallen from the sky locally in the past 24 hours, enough to fill Green Lake six times." ++

MY STOLEN CAR UPDATE

++ SHE'S BACK! AND I've decided to name her Old Steady, which I know isn't a very feminine name and isn't particularly flattering, but that's what she is. Always there (except when I'm taking her in for maintenance) (and except when she gets a little antsy and decides to take herself for a spin.) Welcome home Old Steady, welcome home. ++

MY STOLEN CAR

++ MY DEAREST CAR. Please come home. Our relationship together is a long history, full of first experiences and ups and downs. First, let me apologize for never giving you a name. After 175,000 miles and 11 years, I feel terrible that I’ve only ever referred to you as ‘she’ or ‘her’. You must feel slighted. My sincerest apologies for more often than not neglecting you your oil change every 3500 miles or 3 months. Also, please accept my deepest apologies for never giving you a bath or a wash in well over two years. I’d throw out an excuse but there is none which is acceptable. With the lack of an oil change and lack of a bath, it’s no wonder you always felt dirty and never sexy. Words escape me. We’ve been through so much.

Remember when we first drove ‘across country’. And by ‘across country’ we really only went halfway, stopping in Denver. There and back. Twice. We were as carefree as birds. You, a young svelt car, not even 100,000 miles and me a young buck, eager to shed the young naïve view on life. The first experience of an extended road trip is something you and I can share only with each other. It was quite a time. We played in the mountains both in the summer, hiking every weekend, and in the winter, making our weekly weekend trips up to Vail and Beavercreek and Breckenridge to snowboard. We made many more trips ‘across country’, the others being actual trips across country, to San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. You were a trooper, a real trooper. I pushed on your pedal for 40 hours straight for at least two trips, you humming the entire time, asking me to stop only to refuel. We made a few marathon trips: one from Seattle down to San Diego in 23 hours, through the southwest desert, up to Denver and fast tracked home. Another, a whirlwind from San Francisco up through Portland and an afternoon stop in Seattle, and then east through Yellowstone and the Badlands and Devils Tower, stopping to get gas in Gary, Indiana. And another from San Francisco, stopping in Yosemite for our first time ever, on to the Grand Canyon, down through Texas and pit stopping in New Orleans, before trekking back to Ohio. On every trip I packed my stuff in your backside until you almost couldn’t move and you never complained. You never asked for any rubbers, but I tried to provide you with new tires as your old ones wore down.

We went through tough times as well. I dropped railroad ties on your back left side and then never took you to the body doctor to get cosmetically repaired. I ran you into a guardrail once. (I’m sorry.) Numerous random strangers penetrated your back right side, groping you for anything they could, usually only taking your voicebox. You’ll remember I always replaced it with another radio, but after the 4^th or 5^th time, I knew you couldn’t take it much more, so I did us both a favor and gave you back your original factory radio. It wasn’t that you were old, you were just getting seasoned and looked better au natural. You didn’t need anything to help push-up your volume. Steady and even-tempered were always your best traits.

I hear it’s still possible that you’ll come back. It’s what ‘they’ tell me. They even say it’s possible within a week or two, but if it’s longer than three weeks and you still haven’t come home, they’ll take your name off the milk carton and put another tick on the old bed post. I promise, I’ll give you a name you deserve. I’ll take you in for routine check-ups. After we frolic anywhere, I’ll lather you silly and tickle your tires with brushes so full and soap so bubbly, that the cars next to you and me will blush and look away.

I miss you. Please come home.

(PS. I’m sorry I got pissed that one time and permanently blinded you. We’ll have to do something about your windshield.)

PSS. You know the SUV which sleeps next to your bed? We’ll he looks like he’s been crying.) (But that may also be the rain. I’m still up in the air about it.)

PPSS. (I think I’m going to chalk it up as crying.) ++

IT'S JEFF'S DAY

++ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO my younger brother Jeff! He's a squirrelly 25 now. Primed and ready for lower car insurance rates. Twenty-five and still alive! Twenty-five without a wife! Twenty-five and ready to jive! Twenty-five and ready for life! Twenty-five and going to a dive! Twenty-five and going to to give...wait...oh, you tricked me English with your funny pronunciation rules, you tricked me. ++

NOVEMBER FAMILY AND COHORTS

++ IT'S GOING TO be a busy month at Hotel Blackburn.
Mom and Dad are coming to visit November 1-11.
Jeff is coming the week after from November 15-28.
Steve and Beth are coming to visit Seattle November 30-December 3.

Somehow I still have all of the weekly and daily events to do and luckily everyone are big boys and big girls and don't need to be constantly entertained. Not that I wouldn't enjoy constantly entertaining family and friends, but I know I can't even stand myself 24 hours a day which is why I go to sleep for 8 hours a day, so I can get away and have a little break from myself. Ha. It should be an active month. I've twenty hours left to clean in preparation...++

NOTES FROM THE CENTERLINE

++ NOBODY LIKES A REFEREE. There is one call that a referee can make in any sport to make everyone happy. No matter what is called, someone is going to complain and whoever gets the foul called on them is going to second guess you, pretty much without fail. It takes a much more patience and focus than most jobs, because everyone is watching and everyone is going to catch all of the referee's mistakes. The second the referee loses focus and zones out is the (only) time when something is going to happen and they're going to miss it. Once a call is missed, it's all downhill from there. There is a fine line between calling fouls and stopping the game every five seconds and letting the game play. Too many whistles and the game lacks continuity, too few whistles and the game gets rough and people start to get injured. Being fair and calling a fair game shouldn't be an issue. Overaggressive teams make for hard games to referee, because they'll always get the fouls called on them and never think it's a foul. So when every whistle goes against them, they start to complain that it's not fair. It's probably one of the most thankless jobs I've ever worked. ++

KEYWORD ANALYSIS

++ HERE ARE THE various words and phrases people have used in different search engines which led them to somehow find a link to this website.

	Number			Percentage			Search Term
	4			6.35%			jessicalee67
	4			6.35%			coors light, i love football on tv
	4			6.35%			designsnob.com
	3			4.76%			kiera kippins
	3			4.76%			jay c blackburn
	3			4.76%			grete bigert
	2			3.17%			heide archietcture
	2			3.17%			chronic lymphocytic leukemia
	2			3.17%			designsnob
	1			1.59%			adam purath
	1			1.59%			why does skyline chili smell funny?
	1			1.59%			geo chaching
	1			1.59%			jay mitchell-lighthouse
	1			1.59%			i love burritos at 4am
	1			1.59%			the veils the leavers dance
	1			1.59%			beauty in its various forms appeals to you - meaning
	1			1.59%			bigert, grete
	1			1.59%			alyson ianitti
	1			1.59%			soccer phenom
	1			1.59%			hoa items stored on balconies
	1			1.59%			bouldering in greenwich, ct
	1			1.59%			traveling by plane(pros cons)
	1			1.59%			passionate people
	1			1.59%			disposable heroes of hiphocrisy song
	1			1.59%			windmill tokyo moon
	1			1.59%			bubble tea in greenwich, ct
	1			1.59%			apx house cincinnati
	1			1.59%			rappel without a harness
	1			1.59%			recent proverbs
	1			1.59%			cincinnati homecoming bearcat run 2006 results 5k
	1			1.59%			toilet seat up weird laws
	1			1.59%			jaycblackburn
	1			1.59%			blast o' butter light points
	1			1.59%			jon kippins
	1			1.59%			letter from the dog
	1			1.59%			kayak side floating barge
	1			1.59%			i love burritos at four am parties that never end dogs that love c
	1			1.59%			3000 word paperhow longto write
	1			1.59%			maps to the sky we can create
	1			1.59%			i love pizza at 4am dogs that love cats, and twins
	1			1.59%			jay blackburn seattle
	1			1.59%			heathrow loudspeaker joke
	1			1.59%			budget trucks, duct tape, hernia
	1			1.59%			copper wire theft puts you in jail
	1			1.59%			jason emily aj

++

TWO JOB PERSON

++ I OFFICIALLY HAVE two jobs now. Well, the second job isn't so much a job as it is fun and really, it doesn't pay anything, minimum wage maybe? Can't be much more than that I don't think. I'm reffing Indoor Soccer down at Arena Sports for three to four hours a night, one night a week. I should make about enough money to pay for playing there, which is actually just dandy. I had to fill out a W-9 and take a test and everything and they told me when I file my taxes I have to take out my own taxes on the money I make there as I'm officially an independent contractor for them.

My first night of reffing was this past Tuesday. I've reffed before, but that was 15 years ago and it was outdoor and I was a linesman and I was reffing 7 and 8 year olds. A totally different beast. The first game I just shadowed and sat behind the scoreboard and basically learned to use the scoreboard. The second and third games I worked half of the field with another ref and the fourth game I worked the whole game on my own. No one got hurt. No one got in a fight. I consider it a good first game reffing indoor.

Wow, what a lame post. ++

CURLING SEASON

++ THAT'S RIGHT, CURLING season is back in session, with the addition of a second league (Men's Thursday Night Skip's Choice League) to the ever popular Friday Night Social League. Men's Thursday Night Skip's Choice is quite a bit more competitive than the FNL and full of dudes. (What did you expect, it's a Men's League.) Thursday's team is a reprise of last year's team, The Prodigal Son, Jeff, Mark, and myself. Friday has been altered slightly to accomodate the UC'ers. Mark, myself, The Rog, and Megan for the first half of the season with Zac substituting for the second half of the season. The old usuals are back for Friday night including Cisqo, Wick, Number One, Number Two, the arguing kids, the kilt guy, Caveman, Betty, and Jakie, however an absence can be felt with Sev, Shane, and Wandasiewicz. Good curling! ++

LINKED IN A FRIEND'S BLOG

++ LOOK AT ME! Look at me! I've been linked in Jeanne's blog. I've also added her to my sidebar under links. Jeanne's blog, Life in Cleveland. Jeanne and I lived on the same floor Freshman year of college and graduated together twice. She is now married to Matt Stevenson, who also lived on the same floor Freshman year of college and graduated with us, twice. They now live in Cleveland. ++

USE OF BALCONY FOR STORAGE

++ Re: Written warning—Use of Balcony for Storage

October, 2007
Dear Resident,

It has been observed that various items are being stored on your balcony. I regret to inform you that this is considered a violation of the rules and Regulations.

Section 5 Common Areas

I.(1) The balconies are decks of units are limited common areas that affect the outside appearance of the building, and thus the value of the building and it’s units.

(6) Balconies and decks shall not be used for storage of things not reasonably intended or expected for balcony use. Upon written notice, any items deemed by the Board in violation of this rules shall be removed within seven days.

You have until October 15^th to remove these items from your deck. Any further evidence of items left on your deck after this date will result in a $100 fine. If you need more information regarding this issue please contact me. If you feel this information is not accurate, please address your concerns in writing and either give them to myself or our property manager and they will be passed on to the Board.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Resident Manager

.
.
.
Fantastic. So, the item which probably set it off was the big light grey, non-offending coffin-box storage box for the rooftop of my car which when stood straight up on end, is ten feet tall and gray. To be fair, there were a few bags, but not a huge pile. Regardless, the rooftop storage box was tucked back in a corner of the deck where only the two people who park at the very end of the dead end lot can see it. Well, those two people and the people who live in the condominium across the way. No one can see it from the street. One of those two people who park at the very end of that dead end lot is on the Board of Directors. Fine. I'll move it. So, I moved it into my unit, directly in front of the glass wall, about two feet away from where it stood and still in full plain view of the two people who park at the very end of that dead end lot. I hope their happy.

It's a tennis match now. Your serve Board of Director(s). ++

WHICH WAY?

++ WHICH WAY should he go? To the right is a path. To the left is another path. Maybe he'll just sit there for a little bit and see which one shakes itself out to be the 'right' path. Patience my friend. Rome wasn't built in a day. But then again the empire was pretty much dismantled quite quickly. Be sure you're there waiting for a reason. Try not to linger there for too long. The day is coming to an end and the light is fading. Tomorrow is another day but it may bring about a different light. Save tonight, but look to the future. ++

CONDO PROJECT #1

++ I MADE MY first condo improvement purchase. I bought paint stripper to take off the brown paint off of the mahogony treads. Turns out there is a layer of brown and a layer of bright baby blue which I can only assume is a layer of primer. The paint stripper is pretty toxic, so the work is being done outside on the deck. Not a hard process. Pour it on. Spread it out. Wait 30 seconds. Scrape. Repeat. However it doesn't take it off completely and it's hard to do toward the edges and on the bullnosed front edge and on any small edge. I haven't got to the end grain yet, but I have a feeling it's going to be even harder. It seems it would almost be easier to just fashion up some new treads out of some new wood.++

ONE STEP FORWARD...

++ ONE STEP BACK. Little shaky, but I suppose it's even keel. Try not to lean too far one way or another. That water can be icy cold or it could be quite warm. Maybe you'll never know unless you jump in. Or maybe it's best to stay dry.++

ADAM AND GRETE'S WEDDING DAY

++ TO THE AIRPORT. Yeah, I’m 3 hours early.
Side trip with Jeff to Wendy’s for a last supper.
The obligatory Peach Rings. I don’t even really want them.
3 hours of catch up sleep.
Rain? In Orange County? Really Orange County? Really?
Hertz Mazda 3.
Gulfstream as Ryan, Megan, Doug, Laurie, and Adam are leaving.
Ok then, 7 steps back to the car and follow Adam to the hotel.
Rain. Not just rain, but downpour rain. As in they gave us another room so we wouldn’t have to go out in the rain, rain.
Hotel bar. Key Lime Martinis and Gin and Tonics.
Ordered room service for the first time ever. Tasty 2:00am room service pizza.
Moving two cars from the Valet Parking Lot to the Self-Park Parking Lot.
How the .. do you start Adam’s fancy fancy car. Oh, you have to press down on the brake? Ok, I’m clearly not fancy enough to drive this thing.
Stop by the front desk on the way back in. Pay for half of the room. Shh. Finger to the lips.
In bed. Wake up at 4:30. Turn off the television.
It’s really 10am already? “You can change the station. I couldn’t find a football game I cared about.”
Still looks cloudy outside.
Check out. “Wow, that’s a lot cheaper than I thought it’d be. About half. Weird.” “Yeah Adam. Weird.” (Shh. Hehe.)
Back to his place to pick up the suit he forgot. (Texting Grete to make sure she’s out of the apartment.)
French Dip with au jus which needs more salt at Oceans 33.
Pick up Ryan and Megan at their hotel.
It’s the Purath family. They all still look the same. .. with the addition of Andy and Kelly’s two kids.
To the Surf and Sand Resort.
Ooo. Valet parking. Down the line, Lamborghini, Lotus, H2, Lexus, the ‘cheap car’ BMW, …and my Mazda 3. How out of place am I?
9^th floor Top of the Surf with an amazing ocean view. My it’s loud. Are those earplugs on the night stand?
Back to the car to move the beer from the trunk to the room for the ‘Bigert/Purath After Party.’
Jason shows up in the two seater Inifiniti. Move the $5000 speakers to the reception room. One of them is DOA. Ha.
3:30 and Adam is still in shorts and a T-shirt trying to get the speaker to work. Wedding starts at 4:00…
To the room. 3:40. Adam starts to get dressed.
3:50 we’re supposed to be downstairs. Adam is almost done getting dressed. They can’t start without him, right?
“Is it hot in here or is it just me? I feel like I could puke from my toes down.” Silence. Laughter. “It’s Go-time Adam.”
To the beach. An aisle made from flower petals. 20 feet from the ocean. Ryan’s acoustical guitar Canon in D.
Sunny. The sound of the ocean.
30 bare feet friends and family gather around closer. ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ drowned out by the crashing waves.
Adam handsome in his linen suit. Grete beautiful in her wedding dress. The minister in her white robe. The ocean in the background.
Everyone takes four steps closer to the hotel as high tide makes it’s debut.
“I do.”
“I do.”
“You may now kiss the bride.”
Photos. With the Bride and Groom. With the Bride and Groom and the baby. With the family. With the other family. With both families. With friends. With Everyone.
Back upstairs to change from sandals to actual shoes.
To the reception. Appetizers and more gin and tonics. Less Key Lime Martinis. Phase 1 music
The dinner table. A UCLA Professor. A computer programmer for a condom manufacturer/distributor to the UN. A theatrical makeup artist. A carpenter for the (Lincoln’s) Ford Theater. An airline pilot. An industrial engineer for Elmer’s Glue. The token architect. A regional manager for a Top 100 company. A fireman. How cool is that table? (Phase 2 music.)
Dinner talk over anti-pasta, seafood ravioli, and beef tenderloin. Did you know there are 95 different sizes of condoms? I didn’t either. Nor do I care.
Shots of Patrón. More gin and tonics.
Enter phase 3 music. Wait, it sounds just like phase 1 and 2.
Cigars and Patrón margaritinas. Yeah, that’s spelled right. It’s a shaken margarita by John the bartender.
10:30 PM. Bigert Purath/Purath After Party in room 298. Rose petals on the floor and bed with sultry music. Good thing all their friends are here.
Ryan and Drew are talking about babies and marriage. I think I’m in the wrong conversation. Wait, they are the only people here I know. Guess I’ll stay and contribute nothing to the conversation. Water. Water. Water. Water.
1:00 AM. Yeah, it’s time to leave. Wait for the valet guy. Wait some more. 15 minute drive to my hotel.
2:00 AM check in. 2:03 AM bedtime.
Lunch and margaritas at Las Brisas in Laguna Beach with Ryan, Megan, Jason, Adam, and Grete..
Need to feed the meter more money. Congratulations. See you hopefully sooner than later.
Walk the shops at Laguna Beach for 5 hours. Looking for a present. Feed the meter again. Postcards.
Oh, I forgot to give Adam and Grete their wedding card. Guess I’ll have to mail it when I get back home.
To the airport. I vaguely know my way around Orange County now. Map? I don’t need no stinkin’ map. Wait, yes I do.
Check-in. “Is this flight full?” “Yes.” “Ok, thanks.” McDonalds and sitting and waiting. Reading the news on my phone.
“Alaska flight 497 to Seattle leaving at 8:20 has been changed from gate 10 to gate 8.” Shuffle shuffle shuffle.
8:17 PM. Board plane. Window seat 27a. 8:20 PM. Zzzz. Zzzzzz.
Seattle! “Jeff, we landed.” “Ok, I’ll head out now and meet you outside in a bit.” “Thank you.”
Home sweet home. Yes, it feels like home now.
Unexpected house-warming present from Jeff and Betsy on the couch. It’s perfect.
What a beautiful wedding. What a perfect weekend.
Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day.
Congratulations Adam and Grete! ++

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

++ OFF TO GRETE'S and Adam's (and Rainn's) wedding in the OC for the weekend! Sunny sunny CA.
Wait, the weather this weekend is to be just as cold there as it is in Seattle. ++

BEARCATS

++ YES, BEARCATS ARE more than just the University of Cincinnati's Mascot, they're also real animals. Yes, I'm talking to you. ++