jeffrey + upstairsloft

Kate and I have been engaged for a year today. Whoa. That was a year ago where I had the hardest time with keeping the ring a secret from Kate. I remember a bunch of us were at one of her favorite taquerias and I had to restrain myself from proposing right then and there. It’s hard for me to keep surprises from her. 1 year and 7 days until the big “I do.”

Yesterday I sold my 15″ 1.67ghz PowerBook of three years and feared I was going to get beaten down for walking around with a wad of cash in my pocket. Two nights ago I ordered an iMac. Today it came in. Kate and I have a family computer. How married are we? We still have separate bank accounts. I don’t know how all that stuff works. But it hasn’t hit me that I sold what used to be my little companion. I have an iMac. Weird. But I’m stoked. Mucho faster. Yes. Very excited. The tricky part is bringing it home on the 38-Geary. It’s ok. I got skills.

I designed this. It’s pretty cool. Sign in. Check it out.
>>
Workday Microsite [url]

I found a cool little tool to map out my bike route.

On my way to work:
Anza to Embarcadero/Harrison
Spear to Anza

Then there’s those hills, those damn San Francisco hills that make a 10-mile feel like a day’s workout.

A huge congrats to my little brother who just graduated high school. Time flies. While I was holding down my college education and almost a year of work, Kyle was apparently growing up in high school. It’s just so crazy that I remember high school so clearly but I graduated seven years ago. Now he’s starting something I just finished–college. I’ve been out of his everyday life for four years, except for the three months I lived at home. Thankfully, no effort went to waste when Kate and I took him out as much as we can.

I’m glad he and I are super close or I’d be a weeping, grown-ass man. Life is emotional man. We grow up fast. Another marker in life, and this time it’s not mine.

Jun and I are so bromantic. He had some business to do in SF so he took the Cal-Train up, did his business and met up with me at work. He brought his bike because he knows I’m obsessed. So we trekked the 6-mile route back to Kate’s and my apartment. I noticed he was getting dehydrated, not quite used to biking with varying slopes and all of that, so I stopped over at Rite-Aid and bought him a Powerade.

We bonded over the MySpace version for registered sex offender and shared several laughs while we waited in between times Kate needed our help baking three cakes.

He also biked in with me to work since the studio and Cal-Train are both along the Embarcadero. Few words were exchanged until we biked through the Tenderloin. “Isn’t this were all those sex offenders are?” You are damn right, Jun. We chuckled in unison.

The two of us equal total bromance.

I’m selling my bike to copy one of these bad boys:

June 21 is a day I have tattooed in my mind. Since late April, Kate and I have been far too busy to spend any leisure time in the city we live in. June 21, I will disregard all obligations to selfishly pay mind to myself and Kate only. It’s mentally exhausted to commit to so many obliugations on top of all the hours at work. My only release to all of this is eating out with Kate and riding around the city.

Next week is dedicated to Father’s Day, my brother’s and June’s graduation party. But as busy as this past weekend was, it was a blast.

Friday: Kanye West at HP Pavilion
Kanye threw a real good show. It reminded me of Captain Eo and Disneyland

Saturday Joanne and Jon’s Wedding
The chick that drove me to insanity with all her craziness got married. Congrats Joanna and Jon.
link: Joanne and Jon’s Wedding Photos

Sunday
I photographed my co-worker, Emalyn, and her fiance, Colin, for their engagement photos.
link: Emalyn and Colin’s Engagement

And on Sunday, I dressed my bike in black wheels. Hot.

So yeah. I’m pretty stressed out and tired and there are bout three things that come to mind when seeking solace. Those are Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop,” white chocolate macadmia cookies and Justice’s “Stress.” They exude happiness. Lollipop makes me chuckle. I love cookies. Justice’s Stress channels my stress into energy where it makes me want to be an action hero with a swarm of bees attacking anybody in my path.

Why is it today, of all days, being a grownup sends me a stallion to hindkick me in the face with a searing horseshoe with all this financial bullshit. Today is supposed to be the day where I can finally just chill at the apartment and attend to no obligations. Today Kate and I were supposed to attend Yves Behar’s lecture at the Adobe Building, but we decided to just use this day to eat out for dinner, Kate go to the gym, and I stay at home and rest since the past month and a half have been extremely busy and home and in our personal lives.

All in one day, Kate and I receive our utilities bill and it turns out to be a bloody fucking $300, a damn near $250+ from our usual utilities bill. 5 minutes later I receive a late Best Buy payment for a bill statement I never received through e-mail (and I heavily, and I shouldn’t, rely on those damn bill payment reminders). A few minutes later I logged into Comcast to pay the bill and our Comcast promo expired.

“After speaking with a Pacific Gas and Electric representative, the reason for the ridiculous huge amount for the bill of May 2008 are as follow: during the time from December 2007 to April 2008, Pacific Gas and Electric did not have the house key to enter and read the meter therefore, the amount of usage from December 2007 to April 2008 had to be charged according to an estimate. Finally, Pacific Gas and Electric found the key to enter the house, read the meter, and discovered that they undercharged for the amount of usage from December 2007 to April 2008. Consequently, Pacfic Gas and Electric had to bill the difference of the estimated amount and the actual amount that was used.

I know I wouldn’t be this pissed off if all this bullshit couldn’t happen on the most imperfect day and if I didn’t anticipate a ridiculous water bill next month from goddamn neighbors upstairs who take 1.5+ hour showers each in the morning and at night. I hope she stubs her toe on the couch and a flock of seagulls shit on her ice cream.