Leveraged to the Hilt

That's a new favorite phrase of mine, picked up from roommate and Frat House don B Haag. By the way, I took the time to count how many roommates I have yesterday. As of yesterday (and I guess today, I haven't seen anyone move in or out), there's eleven of us here. They call that population density.

I like a lot of the stuff that's happened here in SF. Not surprising. I like a lot of stuff. Here are some highlights, in no order whatsoever.

Today we had an intern get together. The beer was average, so I heard, so I didn't partake. The kebobs, on the other hand, were strong. At the end of the event, they told those of us lingering around to take home food. The interns were kind of hesitant, sizing people up before really going for it. Fellow intern Jordon and I looked at each other and went straight for the kebobs. I noticed a couple of the staff members eyeing us a little, so I asked if it was cool to take food home (I had a full, untouched tray/bin of kebobs in my arms at this point). They told me to lay my ears back, so I grabbed a tray of rice and a big bowl of salad to go with the kebobs.


So I rode the Muni home with that big pile of food (that would be the "No food allowed" Muni). Big hit with the roomies.


San Francisco leans liberal, as a general rule, but I think this little hipster unit was pushing it a little. $18 someplace around Union Square.

Speaking of clothing, whoever you are who grabbed my Patagonia soft shell after the kickball championships, please return it immediately. Just drop it over at 496 N. 750 E. in Provo, care of Matthew Ray Paskett.

Also, I'm addicted to baseball games. We went over to Oakland to see Timmy demolish the A's lightweight lineup. Loved every minute of it. Timmy's on my summer top five.

Mr. J, Mr. J

I've had two guys call me Mr. J since I got out here. This is why.

SF Districts

Roommate Clay sent me this cool map of the SF districts. We live in Forest Hill, turns out.

Why you'd want to live here...

This week I was in LA for some tax intern training with PwC interns from around the country/world. I was the only Utahn there (surprise surprise) and one of a handful of BYU Mormons. I really had a great time with the training and met some great people. My camera spent the trip in my bag, but I managed to snag some shaky pictures with my phone.

On Thursday they took us to a Dodgers game. I got a Dodgers ballcap and a Dodger Dog, but I rooted for the A's. I'd give the ballcap an A- (just slightly too big) and the dog a D- (narrow, flavorless, lifeless). I'd also like to give an E for effort to the intern girls who bought the Mormon guys an O'Douls so we wouldn't feel excluded. (We didn't drink it because it smelled like a bad combination of bodily fluids.)

This is for Jo (and maybe Lisa) more than anyone else. It's dark, but you know what I'm doing. Note the ballcap.

"Downtown" L.A.

No comment needed.

Only the best on Hollywood Boulevard.

Live blues preformance outside the Kodak Theater.

This is how training week ended. Five interns sprawled out on the floor of LAX, not to mention another girl to the left of Alex (bottom) and three or four Asian girls just to the left of this picture. The net effect of our training was apparently the obliteration of any apprehension any of us might have had about laying down on the grimy floor of a grimy city's airport.

Back in SF at last. A view of the Bay Bridge at night. Taken from an unspecified location.

I'll be working in the building on the right, I believe. Bluriness due to the combination of hand shakiness (fear) and strong wind gusts.

The Palace of Culture and Refinement, as we decided to call it. I think it's really called the palace of fine arts or something like that. It's just right next to the Exploratorium and was imposing and also fun to clamber up on.

Apparating didn't work, so...

A few pictures from early on.

Here are some salt flats I drove past right before I got to Wendover (aka Mordor), the ugliest place I believe I have ever seen.

This was meant to be a cool picture of the way the water-filled rumble strip grooves made a cool collective reflection. What resulted was a cool picture of my inability to remove the BYU parking sticker from the bottom corner of my windshield.

Cloud.

For Jo. Difficult to make out, but this sign announces one's arrival to the Nevada town of Lovelock. A gas station attendant confirmed that a trip to this town was what inspired Kanye...

I live here now.

Thank you, Asian couple, for omitting both the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown from this photo. You could've gone either way, and you went straight down the middle. 7-10 split.

Cue the awkward hand placement by Jae and the windswept hair by Dan.

Hey Ma and Pa: Remember, a mustache, a floppy hat, and that little triangle across the bay were what got this family started. Hooray for August 6th!

I get to live in San Francisco because some of the people in those buildings want me to do their taxes for them.

Finalized Book List

Okay, this is both late and lame, but here we are.

Walden (I'm partway through already)

Team of Rivals (Also partway through. Been stop and go on this bad boy forever)

Miracle of Forgiveness (Been on the to-do list for years)

Whatever book Nephi was reading the other night. He was so plugged into it that I am now intrigued.