my god, I'm still awake from yesterday!
effectively I've pulled an all-nighter.
After work on Friday (which blew... early in the evening Night Editor Jon had to go and say "I hate to say it, but it looks like we're doing good" which essentially jinxed us and calls about stabbings and fights came into the newsroom and we had to stay later to cover it) we went north. The original plan was for 344 to make a daytrip up north. We were going to visit a friend who is having her last weekend in California before shipping off to Memphis to earn her phD. This was our send-off to her. But 3 backed out at the last minute and it ended up just 4 and 4.
4 and I pile into Saori (Americanized name is Sara, or Shera using a fake Japanese accent) and head toward San Jose at 1 a.m. I'm driving because it's convenient to do so, and 4 is watching my Firefly dvds. About halfway, I need food and caffeine so I pull into the Denny's in Coalinga (across the freeway from Harris Ranch. Upon walking into the restaurant, I look at the server and she looks at me. We simultaneously go "Don't I know you?" Then followed a minute of guessing games and it turns out we both used to work at the Fresno Bee. She was the cafeteria lady/short-order cook that used to take my lunch order and cook it up for me. What a weird coincience. 4 declares this blogworthy. We share one of their scrambles on sale and then head off again after we finish.
I continue driving. 4 continues Firefly. We pull in front of our friend's place at around 7 a.m. We promptly sleep in the car for a couple hours. I promptly left the goddamn headlights on while we're sleeping. I discover the lack of electricity around 9 a.m. when I'm trying to roll down the rear windows for additional ventilation. So instead of leaving Saori for dead and jump her later in the day. I insist we push-start her. This was successfully achieved on the second try and I let her run for 10 minutes (I just realized that this will mess with my mpg calculations tomorrow).
With everyone now awake, we had to figure out what we would do for the day. I originally thought we might be able to head into the city for dim sum. I had given meowa notice the night before that this might happen so we might be able to meet up. But this doesn't happen. We instead decide to go south and meet up some friends at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. I thought this was a good choice because I had never been to the festival although I've been invited countless times by ex-AX people. So a garlicking we go.
We got there early before the rush of cars we would see later and it was a beautiful day that wasn't excessively hot. Shade was necessary at times, but it wasn't please-kill-me hot like it had been the day before. Our bus driver was funny and he made some cheerleaders jump around for us. I rewarded them by stuffing a dollar bill in their g-string. Ok, this part didn't happen, but I did buy a $1 program because of the jumping around. It was a $12 entrance fee. We go in, and there is more food than I could possibly eat. During the day I got to try Blue Moon beer, garlic fries from Gordon Busche(sp), stuffed mushrooms, crawdad, shrimp quesadilla with salsa, among others. I also bought a souvenier tin beer mug. We left the festival around 2:30 p.m. and navigated our way out of the maze of traffic and toward the Gilroy Premium Outlets.
Immediately hit Starbucks for the caffeine hit. The sodas at the festival just weren't doing it for me. I had to get a triple shot in my iced white mocha. We walked around and shopped for shoes, jeans, clothes, whatever. I came away with two new pairs of jeans, which were sorely needed because my current jeans are literally falling apart. Foodening must happen next.
We go eat at Banana Leaf in Milpitas. It was my first time there. We got the mango chicken, some beef curryish dish, and something with eggplant. It was all very good. I was surprised at the goodness. We also got the granite banana desert at the end. The price was very reasonable, dare I say cheap?, for the quality of food.
After this, 4 and I parted ways with our soon-to-be-not-Californian friend. We start up Saori, fill up at an Arco ($3.04 per gallon! cheaps!) and hit the road around 9:45 p.m. 4 knocks out until Magic Mountain. I keep myself awake while driving by singing along to my music (6-disk changer FTW!). We arrived outside our door at 2:30 a.m.
I can't believe all we've done today. I'm tired as hell. I have to work tomorrow afternoon. I now need to go to bed.
After work on Friday (which blew... early in the evening Night Editor Jon had to go and say "I hate to say it, but it looks like we're doing good" which essentially jinxed us and calls about stabbings and fights came into the newsroom and we had to stay later to cover it) we went north. The original plan was for 344 to make a daytrip up north. We were going to visit a friend who is having her last weekend in California before shipping off to Memphis to earn her phD. This was our send-off to her. But 3 backed out at the last minute and it ended up just 4 and 4.
4 and I pile into Saori (Americanized name is Sara, or Shera using a fake Japanese accent) and head toward San Jose at 1 a.m. I'm driving because it's convenient to do so, and 4 is watching my Firefly dvds. About halfway, I need food and caffeine so I pull into the Denny's in Coalinga (across the freeway from Harris Ranch. Upon walking into the restaurant, I look at the server and she looks at me. We simultaneously go "Don't I know you?" Then followed a minute of guessing games and it turns out we both used to work at the Fresno Bee. She was the cafeteria lady/short-order cook that used to take my lunch order and cook it up for me. What a weird coincience. 4 declares this blogworthy. We share one of their scrambles on sale and then head off again after we finish.
I continue driving. 4 continues Firefly. We pull in front of our friend's place at around 7 a.m. We promptly sleep in the car for a couple hours. I promptly left the goddamn headlights on while we're sleeping. I discover the lack of electricity around 9 a.m. when I'm trying to roll down the rear windows for additional ventilation. So instead of leaving Saori for dead and jump her later in the day. I insist we push-start her. This was successfully achieved on the second try and I let her run for 10 minutes (I just realized that this will mess with my mpg calculations tomorrow).
With everyone now awake, we had to figure out what we would do for the day. I originally thought we might be able to head into the city for dim sum. I had given meowa notice the night before that this might happen so we might be able to meet up. But this doesn't happen. We instead decide to go south and meet up some friends at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. I thought this was a good choice because I had never been to the festival although I've been invited countless times by ex-AX people. So a garlicking we go.
We got there early before the rush of cars we would see later and it was a beautiful day that wasn't excessively hot. Shade was necessary at times, but it wasn't please-kill-me hot like it had been the day before. Our bus driver was funny and he made some cheerleaders jump around for us. I rewarded them by stuffing a dollar bill in their g-string. Ok, this part didn't happen, but I did buy a $1 program because of the jumping around. It was a $12 entrance fee. We go in, and there is more food than I could possibly eat. During the day I got to try Blue Moon beer, garlic fries from Gordon Busche(sp), stuffed mushrooms, crawdad, shrimp quesadilla with salsa, among others. I also bought a souvenier tin beer mug. We left the festival around 2:30 p.m. and navigated our way out of the maze of traffic and toward the Gilroy Premium Outlets.
Immediately hit Starbucks for the caffeine hit. The sodas at the festival just weren't doing it for me. I had to get a triple shot in my iced white mocha. We walked around and shopped for shoes, jeans, clothes, whatever. I came away with two new pairs of jeans, which were sorely needed because my current jeans are literally falling apart. Foodening must happen next.
We go eat at Banana Leaf in Milpitas. It was my first time there. We got the mango chicken, some beef curryish dish, and something with eggplant. It was all very good. I was surprised at the goodness. We also got the granite banana desert at the end. The price was very reasonable, dare I say cheap?, for the quality of food.
After this, 4 and I parted ways with our soon-to-be-not-Californian friend. We start up Saori, fill up at an Arco ($3.04 per gallon! cheaps!) and hit the road around 9:45 p.m. 4 knocks out until Magic Mountain. I keep myself awake while driving by singing along to my music (6-disk changer FTW!). We arrived outside our door at 2:30 a.m.
I can't believe all we've done today. I'm tired as hell. I have to work tomorrow afternoon. I now need to go to bed.