Blog Master G

I went running yesterday afternoon for the first time in way too long. And for the first time ever, I know what it feels like to have a 30-year-old body. Sure, I’ve been 30 for nearly two months now, but I haven’t really done anything that has made me feel that I’m 30.

Wheezing. Aching muscles. Dizziness. Scratchy sensation at the back of my throat. Wobbly stride. Thud, thud with every lame excuse for a stride. Damn, I knew I always had a love-hate relationship with running, but yesterday really proved it and drove that point home.

I ran for somewhere between 6 and 7 minutes and probably didn’t even go a mile (7/10ths of a mile, as measured this morning). Back in the day — freshman or sophomore year of college when I was running track and at the peak of my running prowess — I could run a sub-6-minute mile.

As much as it hurt yesterday, it also felt good. So I woke up this morning at 6:30am and did it all again (after my morning push-ups and crunches). Today I took Happy Dingo and ran the 1.3 miles to Justin’s house to get my minivan, where I left it last night after a few drinks while watching the season finale of Heroes with him. I hit the 1-mile mark in about 9 minutes, and completed the entire 1.3 miles in about 12 minutes. There’s even a hill in the final 1/3rd of a mile.

Not too shabby for a 30-year-old.

I felt much better today after the run than I did yesterday, though my calves are more sore. I stretch and do squats pretty much every day while brushing my teeth, but I don’t stretch the calves, so I’m sure that’s the problem.

Two days in a row. Now I just have to stick to this routine.

Yesterday the animal world lost a great friend: Diego Chandler. For his short life, he touched many lives. He was so loving, so silky-soft, and so full of energy and curiosity about the world. He loved to ride around on Hugh’s shoulders (and even mine once or twice).

Hugh and Jami adopted Diego just six short months ago. He was soon diagnosed with kitty leukemia and spent most of his life hanging out in the bathroom sink of their bedroom. But he was more than content there. He then developed a tumor in his lungs that was just too much for the little guy to handle.

I’m glad I got to know Diego — who reminded me of my old friend Licorice — and got to be his friend and even his one-time maid. My condolences to Hugh and Jami on the loss of Diego, and rest in peace, little man.

My Dad emailed me this random series of photos of me, Pete, and himself shortly after Christmas 2006, and they’ve been sitting in my Gmail inbox since then. Since I’m determined to clear out the 200 or so emails in my inbox today, I finally got around to downloading them to my computer, and figured I’d share them with you, too. They’re too good not to.

Check out all my bling! And Dad, I hope you still have those shorts!

Back in 2001 when I was between jobs, Stella and I made the most of it by frolicking on the beach at Crissy Field in San Francisco nearly every day after we took Jen to work. It was awesome and the best three months of unemployment ever. We lived in a beautiful city and I got to stroll with my dog along the beach, enjoying the sun, the waves, the ocean breeze, views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and even the occasional sea otter — once Stella tried to swim out to one, but quickly returned to shore when she realized she was a good swimmer, but still no match for a sea otter. She decided to stick to tennis balls propelled repeatedly down the beach by her Chuck-It.

Once we even saw a whale out by the Golden Gate. It was incredible and majestic. It was the first time I’d seen a whale in real life. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

And now, six years later, making national news is a pair of whales cruising around my hometown in Sacramento.

Humpback whales spend day in Sacramento River:

A pair of humpbacks – identified as a mother and a calf – spent Monday between Rio Vista and a stretch of Cache Slough in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta.

Late Monday, a crew from Alaska Whale Foundation tracking the whales said the mother was entangled in some kind of rope or fishing gear.

“It’s some kind of wrap over her head. It looks like a crab pot line,” Kathi Koontz, a volunteer research associate, said by cell phone from the foundation’s boat Monday evening. “We’re trying to monitor her and see how much of the wrap is there and where it’s located.”

Whales are really amazing creatures.

I spent last weekend in Las Vegas, the city with which I have a love-hate relationship — always a good time, but so much debauchery. This was my fourth visit to Sin City, and this time it was for Larry’s bachelor party. Pete joined me, Larry, Shrey, Andrew, and Philip for the non-stop festivities, so getting to spend time with my bro added to the cool LFT* fun.

Some (PG-13) highlights:

Good times, Team Vegas! Long live the LFT, and big congrats to Larry!

* Loose-Fitting Tanktop

I learned a good lesson today: If you lose something at a restaurant or bar, don’t expect to get it back unless you return in person to ask for it.

Friday night we had a super-fun, rockin’ all-night happy hour, which began with dinner at Sushi Thai Garden. Along with me and Jen, fellow sushi diners included Justin, Seth, and Niki. Sarah and Brian joined us for drinks at the tail end of our meal. After dinner and a few Sapporos, we cruised to Peabody’s for a pitcher (then left shortly thereafter since it smelled funky). Eric met up with us, Seth and Niki went home, and we proceeded to Bailey’s for dinner part two and Irish Car Bombs.

Apparently the ICB was what made me forget my sunglasses at Bailey’s, though it wasn’t until today that I confirmed that’s where they’d been. It was a long and rockin’ rest of the night. Jen went home to study for her GRE, Eric eventually went to chaperon a prom after-party, and Sarah, Brian, Justin, and I proceeded on to bar after bar — including Gaffney’s and Thirteen, where we spent most of the night.

Yesterday while driving between home and Massachusetts for a first communion party, then enjoying a most excellent evening BBQ in Albany with Alex and Cati, I called every place we had visited Friday night — except Thirteen — to inquire about my lost sunglasses (close to my heart since they’re prescription and my eyes are really sensitive to light, so I felt lost without them all weekend). Bailey’s had even told me to call back later in the night after they’d cleaned up, which I did, but still no confirmation that my sunglasses were there. Two calls, two denials that my sunglasses were there.

So today after a nice Mother’s Day brunch with Jen and Jane at the Gideon Putnam, we were enjoying the beautiful sunshine downtown and I was determined to track down my sunglasses. Sure enough, the first stop was Bailey’s and voila! There were my sunglasses, underneath the outside hostess stand. I thanked the hostess for making my day.

And I could see again in the bright sunlight. Though I was getting used to wearing Jen’s sunglasses this weekend, it just wasn’t the same — and her ladies’ sunglasses were a bit small on my face, I think.

So the moral of the story: Next time you lose something, don’t bother calling the establishment. Go there in person if you want your item back.

Since The Saratogian never seems to publish any letters that contain any ounce of criticism, I will publish my latest letter here. I sent this letter on April 23. Today is May 1 and it’s still yet to be published. At this point, I doubt it will.

Dear Editor,

Thank you for publishing the great photo spread of the UPH auction in the April 23 Life section. As a Saratoga Steeplechaser – the volunteer group that planned and executed the event – I was delighted to see the coverage.

However, key details were left out of the spread, and readers less familiar with UPH may not know what it is.

UPH is the Universal Preservation Hall (www.universalpreservationhall.org), the historic building at 25 Washington Street currently under renovation to become a community performing arts and events venue.

The auction, held Thursday, March 29, was the third annual “Day in the Life of…” live auction fundraiser for the project, and this year raised about $20,000 for the Hall. The event also included a silent auction for the first time.

The photos in your spread, unfortunately without proper photo credits, were taken by Niki Rossi Photography (www.nikirossi.com), who, along with assistant Seth Guistimbelli, donated services for the evening.

In addition to scheduled musical events in May, UPH will be a featured venue in the first annual Saratoga Arts Fest, June 15-17.

Thank you to everyone – auction attendees and the numerous sponsors and donors alike – who helped to make this year’s event another tremendous success.

Sincerely,

Gabe A_nderson
Saratoga Steeplechasers

Since it’s still the month of my birth, I’m going to attempt a triumphant return to blogging — on a topic related specifically to my birth, which I’ve been wanting to blog about for a long time. So here we go.

Words and photos can hardly do it justice, but just over a month ago — on Saturday, March 24, 2007 — my amazing wife threw me the most incredible, thoughtful surprise birthday party ever. It’s been more than a month, and I still think about it nearly every day. For the first solid week following the surprise weekend, it was all I could think about. I had a hard time concentrating on work or anything else since it was so much to process and I was so moved by the kindness of the gesture — by Jen and her team of accomplices, which included more than 30 of our family members and friends.

There were 4 major components to the most awesome surprise weekend ever.

First, the night before the party, Ben and Enoch arrived from San Francisco to surprise me. Jen had planned the whole thing with them right under my nose. And they all managed to trick me into thinking that they had come for the wrong weekend. You see, there was an Evite we had sent out for what I thought was to be my birthday party the following weekend. Everyone but me knew the Evite was fake. So Ben and Enoch led me to believe that they had accidentally scheduled their trip for the wrong weekend. And the next day, I was told, Shrey would be stopping by to hang out since Ben and Enoch were in town anyway. I knew something was happening that weekend; I just didn’t know what. When Jen had cleaned the house and made the guest bed that Friday afternoon, I knew someone was coming; I just didn’t know who. When Ben and Enoch arrived, which was a huge surprise in itself, I thought that was The Surprise. But that was just Amazing Surprise #1.

The next day, Ben, Enoch, Shrey, and I are hanging out around town, waiting for the impromptu BBQ I thought I had thrown together for that evening to begin. Jen tells me not to worry — that she’ll take care of all the preparations and that we should just have fun around town. So we do. We walk around Broadway. We stroll through Congress Park. We have a couple drinks at Brinidisi’s. It gets to be close to 6:30pm, when I think a bunch of our friends are showing up at our place. So we head home. Jen’s nowhere in sight.

Then I get an urgent call from her that she’s stressed out, trying to get ready for our guests to arrive. She says she’s at the store on her way home to shower, but forgot to get beer, so could I go pick some up. I agree. She talks me into getting beer at the brewery, since I’d been telling Ben and Enoch all about the cool place anyway. Ben does a good job convincing me that he wants to go there to get a growler of his own.

So we head to the brewery, and I’m thinking we’re just picking up some beer for our little BBQ get together that evening, which I thought I had planned. In I walk, growler in my hand, and then everything goes to slow motion. I look around and see a crowded room of people holding up what I think are paper plates. As everyone yells “SURPRISE!” my first thought is that I’ve accidentally ruined someone else’s surprise party.

Then, as I slowly look around the room and realize that the paper plates are, in fact, cut-outs of my own face, I realize that this is my surprise party and the Saratoga Brewery tasting room is filled with my friends. I stand there in shock. Surprised. Stunned. Happy beyond belief. Death grip on my growler.

Jen emerges from the crowd, smiling. She hugs me and kisses me, and takes the growler out of my hands. I slowly start emerging from my shock and recognizing everyone — Alex with the video camera, Cati, Jonty and Dina from New Jersey, Sarah and Eric, Justin, Ken, my mother-in-law Jane, Anne and Tom, Hugh and Jami, Matt, David, Sue and Josh, Alexis and Kevin, and pretty much all our Saratoga friends. I declare to the crowd, “So I guess the party’s here?” Everyone laughs and someone starts yelling, “Speech!”

All I can say at that point is this: “I’m speechless. And I had no fucking clue!” Indeed. So that was Amazing Surprise #2.

The next few hours at the brewery are among the best of my life, enjoying the night with my incredible wife and all our kick-ass friends.

I eventually make my way through the crowd, saying hi to everyone and thanking everyone for this best birthday gift ever. There are hilarious Photoshopped pictures of me everywhere. At the back of the room is a scrapbook of my life — about 80 pages, I would later realize. Jen and my family and our friends had created this thoughtful and moving photo scrapbook with memories, haiku, notes. Even many of our west coast family and friends — my Dad, my bro Peter, my Aunt Tracy & Uncle Andy, Shannon, Karen, Jeanine and Martha, Katie, Enoch, Ben — and my Ohio family, Uncle Bruce & Aunt Michele — had contributed, along with other friends from afar — Heather & Saahil, Sue & Josh (who also came to the surprise party), Shrey. I couldn’t believe it. It’s brought me to tears more than once. So there was Amazing Surprise #3.

Someone turns on music. Sarah busts a move on the dance floor. I join her on the makeshift dance floor, surprised that Enoch was not the first to bust a move, and notice a movie screen. I grow suspicious. Someone mentions an AV presentation later in the night.

An hour into the party, it’s announced that it’s time for the movie. I take my seat front and center and watch in amazement as the most incredibly produced and hilarious video of my life as a washed-out karaoke rock star unfolds right before my very eyes. It’s my 30th birthday video roast, VH-1 Behind the Music style, produced & directed by Alex. Narrated by Tom. Featuring original performances by Sarah, Cati, Hugh, Jami, and Alex. Footage from the late 1970s through 2007. I’ve watched it a dozen times and laugh my ass off every time. (If you haven’t already seen the video, and you’re someone I know well, drop me a line and I’ll send you the link. The video is not for public consumption. Yes, it’s that good.) So there it is: Amazing Surprise #4.

Later in the night, it’s time for the cake and time for me to give another speech. Justin acts fast and records my birthday cake speech:

And then there was the crazy, karaoke-filled after-party.

After it all went down, I was filled in on all the details, all the planning that went down right behind my back, and had a number of Kaiser Soze moments. From the master planning led by Jen, Alexis, Niki, Sarah, and Co. to the secret invitation created by Sarah to the Phoshop mastery by Jen and Niki to the official party music mix created by Tom & Anne to the video produced by Alex, it was all so cool. You all rock.

Words cannot express what this all meant to me. Thank you to Jen, and thank you to every one of you who contributed to every aspect of what was one of the most unforgettable nights of my life.

I love you all.

View more photo highlights from the party. And here are even more photos from Niki.

By the way, my video roast was a big hit at Cannes, and its stars were awarded appropriately:

Last week I was walking the dogs — it was the 18th or 19th, as I recall — and something significant happened: The chill in the air was gone. Just like that.

After a long winter that got a late start — our first big snow storm wasn’t until Valentine’s Day, followed by another on St. Patty’s Day, then another couple inches here and there in April — spring is finally here. And it’s awesome.

The weekend was just perfect — one wonderful, warm sunny day after another. It was in the 70s and even low 80s all weekend and yesterday. There were lots of “firsts of the season” this weekend.

Thursday evening was our first wine and cheese European-style porch dinner.

Friday evening was the first extended happy hour on the patio of Gaffney’s.

Jen and I spent all weekend porch sitting. We busted out the BBQ for the first time of the season on Sunday. We had our first brunch on the porch. We had our first dinner on the porch.

We spent a good deal of Saturday doing yard work and cleaning up after the winter.

I visited Alex and Cati Sunday to enjoy their yard then walk to the Spectrum (for Hot Fuzz) for the first time this season. And this morning I turned off the heater, which wasn’t really on anyway since it doesn’t kick in unless it needs to, but it’s symbolic no less.

I wrote last year, too, about how April is the best month, and I’ll say it again this year. It’s a time of renewal. A time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and the outdoors and friends and food and fun again. As I often say, a long winter makes one appreciate the sun that much more.

Happy spring!

Woah. A new blog from Gabe. Can you believe it?

Blog Master G was offline for a couple days while I migrated Web hosts (again). I was doing the ol’ redirect to the American Forests: Plant Trees site, which worried many of you (oops, he did it again!). But fear not. I am here.

I think this hiatus from blogging since my last post on March 20 may officially be the longest one of my 7-year blogging career. There are a few explanations, but I won’t bore you with the details.

So I’m back with my old Web host (TCH) after having this site with the horrible Media Temple for a while. They charge way too much (20 bucks per month), have constant problems, and terrible customer support (and I know a thing or two about how support should work). Those things combined with the fact that I already pay TCH a monthly fee for my reselling business anyway translated into “Why the hell should I pay two Web hosts when I already have Web space that I’m already paying for?” And it seems, since I am writing this and you are (presumably) reading it, that I’ve successfully migrated all my content and blog database back to my old host (where a lot of the content never left anyway; it was just associated with a different domain).

So it goes.

Speaking of which, I was saddened to learn the other day that my favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut, passed away. If you’ve never read Slaughterhouse Five, you really should. That’s my favorite book.

Last night was a really fun post-auction Steeplechasers party. I took a few photos and will maybe even post them here soon. I know I’ve been a big slacker on the blog front, so I don’t want to make too many promises.

I did deliver on my original blog backlog list in December 2006, but I never (haven’t yet?) crossed a single item off my backlog list part deux from January. But hey, at least I have the list. And the photos in my own private collection.

Enough rambling.