Week of May 9th 2011: Ma*velous

So I actually had kind of an interesting experience with one. Ma*velous is the only "new place" where my first and second trip occurred in the first week. Even more interestingly, my two trips were for completely opposite reasons...

Ma*velous first popped onto my radar when I was researching places for my Coffee Shop Study Challenges. 7x7 had been raving about the new shop and I couldn't wait to check it out. It also had the added benefit of a being a short walk from my apartment. However, everything that I had read about it indicated that it was a coffee shop so when my friend, Joe, offered to take me there for a wine night since he couldn't make it to my birthday celebration the week before. As it turns out, Ma*velous is a coffee shop and wine bar - a combination that definitely piqued my interest.

On the Wednesday night we went there, the shop was pretty quiet which made it perfect for two friends to talk over some glasses of wine. There was actually a very decent selection of wines by the glass which allowed Joe and I to sample a decent amount of the menu. The owner (and sole employee on both of my visits), Phil Ma, was very knowledgeable about the wines he had on hand and was very friendly the whole time we were in his cafe. Joe and I also managed to find quite a bit of entertainment by people-watching some of the passersby. All in all, it was a great place to have a few glasses of wine.

However - I'd read so much about the coffee aspect of the shop that I didn't want this blog post to only be about the wine so I decided to make myself another loophole - as long as it was still the same week a post could encompass multiple trips. So that Saturday, I grabbed my books and headed out to Ma*velous. Technically, it would fall under my coffee challenge, but since this post is long already, I'll give you a more condensed version of my normal rankings.

If you remember, after I went to Blue Bottle, I was really excited to try Siphon Pot coffee. As far as I am aware, they are fairly rare. Mint Plaza Blue Bottle has one... and so does Ma*velous. Even though it's a little pricey, I knew I had to splurge for it. I ended up getting a cheaper coffee than what Phil Ma suggested so it didn't taste quite as good as I'd hoped but boy was it worth the light show. It terms of cool, it definitely would have gotten a 10.

Ma*velous also proved to be a great place to study if you found the right seat. There are several nooks and dark corners where you could get lost and minimize distractions. It also doesn't get terribly crowded on weekends so you don't feel so bad taking up a seat for a while. If you get a siphon pot - it takes a while to drink anyways so that will help pad the study hours as well.

If you get a chance to watch the siphon video then you'll know that this place aced presentation and novelty as well. There was a good selection of coffees as well and the menu read more like the wine menu than a coffee menu.

I really enjoyed my trips to Ma*velous and can't wait to make it back for some more study trips over the next few months.

Week of May 2nd 2011: Kennedy's

I am already failing at my resolutions. An early January trip to Las Vegas is not helpful for reading, gyming, blogging, and not going out.... We all get one week off though, right? I promise I'll make it up to you. Anyways, here's your post!

At my last job, I had a coworker that loved Kennedy's. His weekend plans often included a trip there with his friends and his love for the place was so well known that whenever a deal came through Groupon or any other deal site, he would get tons of people forwarding it to him. Clearly, this was a place I had to check out. Since Kennedy's is a combination Indian restaurant and Irish pub located conveniently in the middle of North Beach, it seemed like an ideal place to start my birthday celebration.

Kennedy's was a fun environment. They allowed me to reserve a table big enough for all of my party guests and the food was reasonably priced. Food and beer had to be ordered at the counter, but for the price and space, it was worth the inconvenience. I think the only other qualm I had was that it only served beer. In most circumstances, this would be fine, but after a really filling meal, I didn't feel like a filling beverage either.

Kennedy's seems to constantly show up on deal websites though so keep your eyes peeled for one before you go!

Week of April 28th 2011: Hog and Rocks

Every now and then you get a chance to combine two things you enjoy - like eating great food and helping out a good cause. So when my friend, Shannon, decided to be a Dining Out for Life representative at Hog and Rocks, I thought it was a great opportunity to have a great dinner and give back a little and my friend, Oleg, agreed to be my date.


Long before our reservations were made, I scoured the menu for what I want to order and I'd already decided that I wanted the pork sandwich (sadly, it looks like this isn't on the menu anymore) and some oysters. Oleg was a little surprised that I already knew what I wanted. He told me that he hates to look at menus before going to a restaurant. I'm trying to remember what the reasoning was - I think it was something to do with not wanting to be disappointed if they didn't have the dish he wanted since a common practice at nicer places is to have a menu that changes daily.

For our plate of oysters, we got a wide variety - ranging from the cheaper to end to the nicer selection. I do have to say, as someone just getting into oysters, it's worth it to pay more. There was a clear correlation between price and taste (as well as an inverse relationship between size and taste...).

As we enjoyed our oysters, Shannon told us about the raffle tickets we could buy. With a grand prize of a week long trip to Mexico for the winner and ten friends, I figured I could get a couple of tickets and help out the cause.

While I didn't win, it was nice to get dinner with a good friend, have an amazing meal, and know that it was all going to help the fight against Aids. I'm hoping Shannon decides to do this again next year because she definitely knows how to pick a good restaurant.

2012 New Year's Resolutions

Ok - first order of business is that I really tried to make my resolutions quantifiable. It was hard for me to determine if I did some of the ones I had last year so down with that madness.

• Travel Somewhere New - If you read my last post, you know this was one of my favorites from last year. It's also kind of a gimme because I've already been talking about going to a few different places this year. It's nice to have obtainable goals sometimes... I would like keep this one on my list until I've checked off more of the globe. 
• Save up a Nest Egg - What a weird phrase... nest egg... makes me feel like I'm having a baby or something. I should call it the "single girl's party fund" or "I don't need a man to buy me a house money" or something empowering like that. Either way, I think that I have all of the tools to make this one happen as well. No - I know it will happen.
• Pass the CFA - Yes, we are in the heart of "things I didn't do last year" land. I feel like I've come full circle on this one. After failing last year (yes, I like saying failing because I'm not going to pat myself on the back and say "nice try"), I was about ready to give up on the program. Then, I got a new job and I've been using the tools I was learning. It's nice to have that knowledge at my fingertips and I'm actually excited about the program now.
• Get back on a gym schedule - I think 2 days a week is realistic. 3-4 would be fantastic but let's aim for 2. I love when I go to the gym often and just feel so strong. I really want to get that back.
• Go out less - shoot, I guess one subjective resolution slipped in. A few weeks ago, a friend asked me how I have a 50 hour a week job, go to the gym, read books, have a social life, and do whatever else I do. Well, I don't really sleep, and I do have a to cut out a lot of me time. I love going out and having a good time, but sometimes I just want to slow down. A lot of my other goals are a little more academic and I'd really like to focus on that. 
• Do something adventurous - or maybe a little crazy. I want to really try something new like jump out of a plane, go scuba diving (not really that crazy... swim with a shark?), hold a scorpion, do a rain dance with head hunters, or some other just ridiculous adventure. A couple of years ago I went hang gliding - so I want something like that.
• Read an average of 2 books a month - When I was in high school I worked in a book store (great high school job) and I loved it. I was a kid in a candy store. I read books like they were my oxygen and frankly, I still own books from that time that I haven't gotten around to. I basically had to work 2 part time jobs because I pretty much broke even on the bookstore paycheck / books purchased equation. Well, ::insert shameless promotion:: the Kindle has gotten me to love reading again. Let me explain. Imagine you had a book that was small enough for you to carry everywhere. This book could become whatever book you wanted to read. If you didn't know what you wanted to read, it would suggest books that you might like based on your favorites. I could go on, but you get the point. Add a book clud in there and my affinity for sales and I'm pretty much hooked. I have such a back log of great books to read, and I even have a few hard copy books that friends have lent me as well. Basically, I'm back to being that teenager who devoured books and I need to make sure I keep that up. For my sanity, I will count a full CFA study guide as a book if the study/fun reading balance is uneven. 
• Frame all of the paintings in my apartment - On a couple of my trips, I picked up a couple of really nice pieces of artwork from some of my favorite places. It turns out - you can haggle the price of a painting but the framing is another story. At this point, I just need to bite the bullet and get them done.
• Get more organized - this one may be a shocker to some of you. If you've ever seen my hard drive, my photos on Facebook, planned an event with me, etc, you probably think I am one of the most annoying organized people ever. However, if you have ever seen my living or working spaces, you greatly disagree. I've been slowly trying to go through all of my stuff and de-hoard. I think the combination of that and some more adult furniture will really help me get the rest of my life as organized as my work ethic. I love the saying "a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind" and I can only imagine how much more I can get done if I find a space for everything. 
• Write 1 blog post a week (on average) - Maybe I'll finally get caught up that way?

So here we have it - 104 trips to the gym, 52 blog posts, 24 books, 4 framed paintings (and counting), 1 test, at least one new place, something crazy, and some spring (/summer/fall/winter/always) cleaning. Wow - sounds like 2012 is the year I become an adult...

Updates

Hi Friends! Just an FYI - I've updated all of the Archive pages so that browsing is a little easier. I've also listed out my new things through the present (on the Chronological tab) so if you've been curious as to what I've been doing since April, you can check it out. As you can tell, this was a busy summer. It also would appear that I have not been busy lately... The fact is, I've been a little lame and have only been doing old things or going to several holiday parties. I promise to pick it up but I was hoping that all of my July adventures have earned me some credit?

Week of April 25th 2011: Juhu Beach Club

Since you are all familiar with my love of all things Top Chef, it shouldn't be a surprise that I was eager to check out the pop-up restaurant in my neighborhood from Top Chef alum, Preeti Mistry. The menu was very straight forward with rotating daily specials. I decided to get the "Holy Slow Braised Cow" sandwich and the "Sassy Lassi." The sandwich was amazing. I made it a point to stop by a few times in the restaurants short life so that I could fill the cravings it left behind. The lassi was good but needed some sweetener.

Even though the pop-up is now closed on 11th st., it looks like Preeti will be popping up in other places around the city. Rumor has it that she is looking for a more permanent location as well.


Short but sweet post - Don't worry though. You get the next installment of New Year's Resolutions soon!

2011 New Year's Resolutions Revisted

So, almost a year ago, I posted my New Year's Resolutions. I better you wonder how that went for me... well, mostly pretty well and I'd love to share my results with you while I brainstorm for next year. Overall, this has been an amazing year for me. I had a ton of goals and no - I didn't meet all of them but I crossed off a lot of important ones.

Before I get started on the other goals, I want to address the one I didn't put. I really wanted more than anything to get a new job this year. I realized I had gotten to a point where I realized what I wanted to do and I wasn't going to do it staying where I was. Looking for a job isn't easy in this economy but luckily, I knew what I wanted. Once I wrapped my head around that, and how to explain why I would be good for that, I landed a job that fit my skills to a tee.

• Pass the CFA Level II - Well, I didn't pass this year. At first I was really bummed. I wasn't sure if I wanted to try again and I start evaluating how much I enjoyed working in finance. I had been looking for jobs in a research role but I started considering getting more involved in operations. That's about the time that my current position popped up. It was a hybrid operations/research role. I've only been there a couple of months but I've already seen a lot of CFA topics come up. A few weeks ago, I signed up again.
• Pass the lead climbing test - Eek, two fails in a row. I really dropped the ball on going to the gym as much as I thought I would. 
• Speaking of climbing... climb an 11.b or maybe even an 11.c - .Well, we got the 11.b out of the way early so guess it's time to shoot for the 11.c?
• Don't put a relationship before yourself - I don't think I'm the right person to judge if I succeeded at this but I did learn a couple of things. Don't be with someone because it's easy or nice, be with someone because it feels right and nothing less. Even if you find something that feels right, find a balance.Maybe that was the point I was trying to make with this one - If you start dating someone that's great but don't start ditching your friends, move to another country, join a cult, make some drastic career change or otherwise do something that you wouldn't have wanted to do otherwise. In that sense, I think I succeeded (unless you count traveling to another country... in my defense, I wanted to do that, but perhaps not at the exact time. However, maybe sometimes that's the encouragement you need?).
• Think before you speak -Yea, this one probably still needs some work. I try, but I'm really quite awful at it. 
• Pay off my car loan - Done! And what a relief too. 
• Build a little bit of a nest egg - But unfortunately, the point before and the two points after made this one really hard to achieve. However, I think I'm in a good place to be able to do this next year now that I've knocked out a really big expense in my life.
• Dress better - I guess this is subjective too, but I did make a strong attempt to buy nicer work clothes and shy away from some of the ill-fitting, stained or ripped clothes (that were oh so comfortable) that I'd had since the start of my career. I slowly started replacing some of those items and made a lot of donations to Goodwill and now I think my closet has grown up a little. I really bought into that "dress for the life you want, not the life you have" motto and thought that nicer clothes would give me the confidence to get the kind of job I wanted. Maybe it did, but then again, I ended up in an office where jeans are a daily option (but, in keeping with the spirit of the resolution, not an option I exercise every day).
• Travel somewhere new - I would like to think that the overwhelming success that I had with this resolution could make up for the others. I went to so many new places (about 4 of them being exceptionally high on my list, I'll star them for you because I know you're curious) that I really knocked this out of the park.I also just loved this idea. I think it's one I want to keep on my list for the next few years. The new places I went this year: Amsterdam*, Brussels, New York*, Washington D.C.*, Munich* and Vienna. The places I didn't go that I hope to next year: Chicago, Madrid, Lisbon, and Mexico.
• Be nicer - Again, one that's hard to quantify. I'm not going to put so many of these on my list for next year.
• Keep in touch with my relatives more - This is one that I didn't even need to try for - it just kind of happened. Like I said originally, the older I get, the more I appreciate my family and want to spend time with them. I think my family really needed to be close this year, but even aside from that, I made sure to visit a little more and appreciate the time with them.
• Keep up with my blog - I know I really failed at this the last couple of months. I realized that I'm getting to the point where I can't blame it on the new job... I think the changes I plan to make will help a lot because I do better when I write about the experiences that I really loved. I also like the idea of writing some posts just about where I am. The last year and a half have been crazy for me. I faced a lot of challenges and it was hard, but every one of them taught me something. There is a quote that I love - "Sometimes things need to fall apart so better things can fall together" that kind of explains it all. You appreciate what you almost lost, you learn to find something better when you're not happy, you see the world and discover things you never learned in school, you realize what kind of people you want to have in your life, and you figure out how to get over the little things. This is supposed to be a blog about the things I do, but I think the lessons learned and the experiences have been much more valuable.