Ticketmaster.com doesn’t like me or my computers. Here are two stories to illustrate this hatred… don’t worry they are completely rationale and logical.

1. Not sure if you guys remember… but I saw this HBO comedy special which cracked me up about two years ago. At the time, all I could find about Flight of the Conchords was a fan website called What The Folk and some youtube videos… no HBO special, no official website, nothing… So when I discovered they were coming to SF, I was pumped. Let’s just say my “flight” got cancelled by you guessed it.. Ticketmaster. The darn thing sold out with the quickness.

2. Sharks playoff tickets. Tickets go on sale last Thursday and I was left empty handed. Not sure how my coworker was able to purchase tickets but the fact that we went winless doesn’t bode well. Praying there will be a Game 5 so I can go up against the Ticketmaster one more time… Go Sharks!

Ok.. maybe more like a slow jog…

This past weekend, I “ran” my first half marathon – the Golden Gate Headlands Half Marathon. Technically, according to the standings, I never actually finished. Sadly, they just read my bib number wrong… you will have to just take my word for it. Two weeks of intense training with Lijen that involved waking up early and doing a mix of ballpark and hill runs really helped get me physically and mentally prepared.

I won’t ever consider myself a runner but I must admit that a few good miles sometimes feels really good and does wonders for your energy. In case you want to do some hiking in the Marin Headlands, this trail is an awesome place with some beautiful views of the ocean, the Golden Gate bridge, and a nice rock beach to have some grub… or for those more adventurous, you can run your own half marathon =).

UPDATE: Here are some photos of the event.

Lots of things to be happy for the past few days… thought it deserved a post on the spot.

– Michelle – To grad school and beyond! Hoping to hear about the NPR story too =).
– Bryan – Welcome back to the west coast. Many Vegas, snowboarding, and surfing expeditions to come….
– Jieae + Laurie – Congrats on the grad school acceptances my Italian friends! Even though you are going to the dark side, keep in mind that you will always be a bear. Go Bears!
– Jess – Congrats on the new job!!
– Potter Puppet Pals – congrats to winning the YouTube video awards! I knew it was a winner.

Did I miss anything? Let me know so I can update this post.

Spring is here. Put those poopy faces away.

UPDATED 3/26: Added a few more congratulations!!

Posted my favorite photos from Italy.

Back in Rome … the last week has been a blur with Tuscany, a little bit of Venice, and the Amalfi coast which = good food, monuments, more good food, and amazing art. I am first to admit that I went through some slight internet withdrawl. Crazy how much I rely on the internet.

I hate to admit it but I think I am officially sick of Italian food. Looking forward to some ramen, pho, kung pao chicken, burritos, curry… pretty much anything. Don’t get me wrong, we have been very blessed (or tainted, depending on how you view it) by amazing food here, and I will miss it.. but like all things, I’ve reached my limit.

Anyway, we fly back tomorrow morning. More trip details, more food details, and photos all to come later. I’m simply too pooped at the moment.

Buonasera! Actually, for those folks on the west coast, it might actually be morning… so Buongiorno!

It is 5:35 AM right now… and I can’t sleep. Not sure if it is because I am too excited because we head to Florence today or if it is because I had a too much grappa (maybe too little?) with dinner last night. Anyway, I figure this is the perfect time to write this blog, so here it goes.

It has been pretty wet here but we haven’t let it damper our spirit (or our stomachs). I actually think the rain might have actually enhanced some of our experiences here… aka walking around the Colosseum while the rain came down was pretty intense. Unfortunately for Laurie and Jieae, they had to deal with all the one liners I recalled from Gladiator. Anyway, here are a few lists to sum up Rome.

My two favorite sights of Rome:
1. The Colosseum – the fact that this ancient stadium can seat up to 70,000 people is insane. Big thumbs up. (mental image: me sitting in the stands giving the thumbs up to a gladiator…)
2. Museum Borghese – Situated in the beautiful Villa Borghese gardens, this museum rocks. Beautiful from the outside and filled with mind blowing Bernini sculptures. Also interesting is the fact that it is so small. We had to make a reservation two days in advance for a two hour appointment in the museum (seriously, they kick you out after two hours). Two hours well spent.

My two favorite restaurants of Rome: (for those foodies out there, Jieae is keeping close photo records of all the food we eat.. expect a post on this when I get home)
1. Le Sorelle (The sisters) – The short, stocky sister was our waitress. The fresh pasta with bacon.. the mushroom risoto.. all incredible. We need one of these in San Fran.
2. La Cicala e la Formica – You can’t beat this little place for lunch. 5£ for a plate of fresh penne with olive marinara, it was very difficult to not order it twice in one sitting! Also, something about the daily handwritten and photocopied menu makes it very… cozy.

Some other random stuff on my mind:
1. The stomach is a powerful body part – I calculated that we probably spend half our waking hours either in the process of eating (walking to food, reading a menu, deciding on where to eat, etc.) or actually eating.
2. Would you like food with that wine? – I think one root cause of (1) might be the fact that wine seems to be the drink of choice with every meal (don’t worry, I’m not including breakfast). I’m hoping it isn’t just an urban legend that a glass of wine a day is actually healthy…
3. Get an Italian-English dictionary. How else will you be able to interpret all the gelato flavors? I’d say this is pretty critical.
4. Museum audioguides – I am officially addicted to these. Walking around the museum like you are on the telephone looks retarded, but the stories behind the art are what really get me going. The 5£ are well worth the expense.