Call me MacGyver

I'm a broke grad student. My meager savings have provided for my existence and has been supplemented by handouts from others. To them I owe a debt of gratitude and lots of money. 

I am also really cheap. I like to think of it more that I am a financial problem solver. Coming up with inexpensive options for certain things. My laptop is a perfect example of this. I've been burned by refurbished items before but did that stop me from saving 300 bucks and buying a refurbished Dell? Of course not. Did it end up biting me in the ass? Of course it did. 

So I've been having hard drive issues, webcam issues and other minor technical glitches. These all came about almost the exact second my laptop was out of warranty. I figured out a way to resolve each issue so now I have a semi functional laptop. 

Two days ago my laptop screen went all funky. It would only work if I applied pressure to one section of the screen. I guess it's an electrical contact issue or something but this was pretty detrimental to my laptop using capabilities. All I needed was something that could push down one side of the screen a little bit. So I came up with this contraption using a carabiner and stack of post it notes. 

   

Pretty soon I'm gonna figure out a way to make a laptop out of some matches, baking soda and a tennis ball. 

Midwest Welcome

So I traded in sunny Barcelona for Michigan. Why? Well to attend the Ross School of Business for my winter exchange. It's a long story as to why I chose to do a term in the US after deciding to go abroad for my MBA but I'm really glad I chose to do an exchange. 

To commemorate my first day at Ross I took some pictures of the building. Stephen Ross, CEO of the Related Companies donated $100 million to the school and thus the building was built and named after him. 

The atrium area. This is where most of the students hang out, eat lunch and see friends. 

Received my orientation packet. Full of semi-useful information like how to get around, what's there to do in Ann Arbor (drink...a lot) and some coupon books for cheap college food. God I missed that. Gyros and fries for $4.99!

So yeah it's pretty damn cold in Michigan. It's been almost two weeks since I've arrived and I don't think we've had a day over 33F. Most days this is what it looks like. Kinda gray, snowy with a bit of wind. 

The famous Law Quad. Wish the picture came out better but the cold was clouding up my camera. Looking at this picture it just looks like white with a streak of brown in the middle. Not the best picture. 

So I had time to kill during one of the weekdays and decided to check out the university's museum of natural history. Who goes to a natural history museum during their free time? Me. So suck it. 

Skull of a triceratops. 

Evolution bitches!! 

Just waiting for some mad scientist to extract the DNA from the mosquitoes inside to create dinosaurs. 

Mammoths. They may actually roam the earth again thanks to some crazy Japanese scientists who want to clone them. Yeah, that's a good idea. Didn't we already have a movie where someone did this and it turned out horribly? Let's clone gigantic pre-historic mammals and bring them back to life. The Japanese have a terrible track record with large monsters.

Need I say more?

The SO for some reason loves turtles so I took a picture of dead turtles for her. Aren't I romantic?

I feel like I'm actually in between the human and the chimp. 

Various ancestors of the homo sapien. Lots of homos in this display.

Replicating how they found the fossil. It's like a crime scene. 

Maybe it's just me but that T-Rex looks totally stoned. I can just imagine this is the look he'd have after a huge toke and then saying something like "I love FunYuns man. They're like Fun and they're Yun. Huh huh." 

Whoever wrote that title is my kind of guy/girl. FUNgus! Reminds me of one of my favorite jokes. 

A mushroom walks into a bar, and he goes up to the bartender to order a beer. The bartender points to a sign on the bar wall and says, "Can't you read: NO MUSHROOMS SERVED!" 

And the Mushroom says, "Awww c'mon, I'm a fungi". 

That picture and the ensuing description of sea lampreys gave me nightmares. "The sea lamprey's oval mouth contains concentric rings of sharp teeth, with a bony, rasping long tongue used to bore into its host." The pun they used did little to assuage any fear I had thanks to that picture. 

I think the artist has watched too much Karate Kid. The Stegosaurus's coach told him to sweep the leg and the T-Rex went all crane kick on him.

 

Karate fighting dinosaurs. I see a movie deal with the Syfy channel in the works.

NYE in NYC 2010: The Big Bang End

Can't even remember what we did leading up to this picture (knowing us probably eating something) but we headed to Rockefeller Plaza to go on the NBC Studios Tour. We tried to go last year but all the tours were sold out. 

The beautiful tree. The SO made a comment about the tree and how the lights were set up that I thought was quite insightful at the time. Unfortunately my recollection of what she's told me only goes back about 18 hours.  I'm gonna be such a good husband. 

They only allowed us to take pictures at the very start of the tour. Apparently EVERYTHING inside the studio is considered NBC intellectual property and thus taking a picture would violate some legal mumbo jumbo blah blah blah. 

Old microphones used back in the NBC radio days. Yes kids there was a time when TV didn't exist. It probably wasn't much of a fun time. I mean what would life been like without these shows bringing joy and entertainment to millions. 

The last one was a particular favorite of mine. My college roommate and I would actually clear our schedules to make sure we watched this show. Sadly AWESOME!

The NBC pages would be leading our tour. I had no idea that NBC pages were real. It's funny because the pages are just as peppy and dorky as Kenneth from 30 Rock. Apparently the Page Program is quite prestigious and only 1% of those who applied are selected. Beyond the tour guide duties, they work for other NBC shows and network with NBC executive so I guess that exposure is worth the sad realization that you just spent 4 years in college to become a tour guide. Not my words, our tour guide page said it. Maybe behind that peppy visage is a sad, depressed human being...

Tacky NBC art to liven up the mood here. 

Prior to our arrival in NYC, the Northeast got a major storm. I think New York got close to 4 feet of snow. It was a major travel disruption and caused my inbound flight to be cancelled. On the bright side it created nature's refrigerator for my beers. 

The next day for lunch we headed down to Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown. Their specialty is dumplings. Oh man crab dumplings. Gotta be careful because those dumplings are filled with greasy dumpling liquid that squirt all over the place when you bite into it. *straight face* No, really, they are good. 

I had promised to meet up with my friend from LA and his gf over the break. We ended up finding time over NYE to hang out. At his friend's apartment where we pre-partied I found this glorious tree. By the way, it's 3 M.D.s who live here. So just keep this Heineken tree in your mind the next time you go in for check-up. 

We ended up at this bar/club to celebrate NYE. That black stallion you see to the right? Humped vigorously by people I will not name. 

The end of the night and the annoying realization that everyone has decided to leave at the same time and needs a cab. 

I believe we found this on the way back from our post NYE party late night snack in K-Town. Don't ask me what it is. The world was spinning when I took this picture. 

New Year's Day. Woke up around 1:30 pm to be greeted with holiday cheer by Sassi. She's 1 years old now. 

New Years Day wouldn't be complete without some traditional Japanese Osechi. 

That night we decided to go out and check the holiday windows. It was cold and we were tired so we only managed to check out the Macy's one. I guess the sponsor this year was Food Network because the entire theme was food and Food Netowrk stars. In this one you can see Mario Batali, Guy Fieri, Anthony Bourdain, and Bobby Flay. Oh, and Emeril Lagasse's right arm. 

 

The women got their window. I don't really get it. They're wearing Snuggies. How does Snuggies and Food=winter and holidays. Bad gifts? How to piss off your wife by giving her gifts you think she wants like a Snuggie but realizing all she really wanted were some diamond earrings? I don't know. Just a guess. 

I'm confused so I'll just let you decide what to comment.

For being so tired we ended up walking all the way to Central Park. 

Coming back down we cut through Times Square to put an endcap on our NYE in NYC. As always it was a wonderful trip filled with friends, family and food. Gotta love this city.

Like a phoenix this blog rises from the ashes.

So now that I finally feel settled in Ann Arbor I figure it's time for the RETURN OF THE BLOG!!!! Aren't you excited to read more meaningless dribble and bad puns? I am. So to kick start the new year and the blog here's a pun for you.

So over Christmas break I tried to catch some fog......



Mist.

Thank you! And now on to more serious stuff. My break was quite busy. I flew out from Barcelona on the 16th of December, arrived in JFK on the 17th, barely made it onto my flight to Vegas ( I had to beg the guy to let me on the plane because I was late checking in my bags) and arrived in beautiful Las Vegas around midnight on the 17th. Met up with the SO, who flew in from LA, at our lovely hotel, The Bellagio.    

Every season, the Bellagio atrium has a special theme for their garden. This year it was gigantic golden balls.

and bears.

Okay fine it was a Christmas theme.

The 19th we flew back to LA. Actually strike that. We were supposed to fly back to LA but wonderful US Airways decided to delay our flight to about 7pm for no apparent reason other than that US Airways blows fat rhino balls. I hope that comes up on a Google Search. To facilitate the connection between US Airways and fat rhino balls.....US Airways sucks FAT RHINO BALLS. There we go. Anyways, so my birthday was on the 19th and we had to be at the restaurant by 8:30pm to meet all of our friends. The good thing is that we found out about our delay around 11:30am. So the SO and I frantically searched for alternatives. We settled upon driving back from Vegas to LA by renting a car and doing a 1-way rental. It actually ended up being cheaper than flying. More convenient? No. More cheaper? Yes. English grammar? Horrible.   

So we made it to the restaurant on time. It was a restaurant/hotel called O Bar | Kitchen.
 

Our prix fixe meal. Decent food. No food pics because it will all pale in comparison to the birthday cake I got. 

How freaking awesome is this! It's a Delorean cake. The SO found a cake maker that could take a picture of something and then create the cake version of  it. I was so amazed at how awesome this thing was. Best. Cake. Ever. Oh yea. I'm 30. 30 is the new 20. 30 is the new 20...

After gluttonous eating and holiday partying in LA. The SO and I flew to NYC to spend time with my parents. Our first big dinner out we all went to Per Se. I had to make the reservation 6 weeks in advance. Ridiculous. Little background on Per Se. Run by Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame, it's one of only seven restaurants in the US to be awarded a 3 star Michelin. The SO and I have been wanting to go ever since we read Waiter Rant. You'll have to excuse the pics. Per Se had a no flash policy and it was very romantically lit aka dark. 

A quick inside shot before we got barraged by the sommelier, waiter, bus boys, etc. 

Mr. Keller's very famous "OYSTERS AND PEARLS "

"Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters 

and Sterling White Sturgeon Caviar

SALAD OF BIG ISLAND HEARTS OF PALM 

Black Winter Truffle Glaze, 

Bartlett Pears and Watercress

BUTTER POACHED NOVA SCOTIA LOBSTER 

"Pommes Écrasées," Trumpet Royale Mushroom, 

Petite Onions and Béarnaise Mousseline 

My favorite fancy dish. 

TERRINE OF HUDSON VALLEY MOULARD DUCK FOIE GRAS 

Slow Roasted Ruby Beets, Sour Cherries, Sunchoke Relish, 

Compressed Belgian Endive and Aged Balsamic Vinegar 

HERB ROASTED ELYSIAN FIELDS FARM’S LAMB

Anson Mills’ Polenta Cake, Caramelized Green Garlic, 

Heirloom Carrots and Braised Swiss Chard 

Dessert 1

Dessert 2

Dessert 3

Dessert 4

So I realized I missed taking pics of some of the dishes. It was a 9 course tasting menu plus other stuff thrown in so it was definitely filling. Was it worth the price and wait? Mmmm. To be honest, no. I was actually more impressed with the food at L'Atelier, which was profiled in our summer Vegas post. Oh well. At least we can now say we've been to Per Se and my dad can add this meal to the "Why I will never have another son and why is the current one so goddamn expensive" list. I love you Dad. 

The shops at Columbus Circle had some very cool lighting. 

The next day I took the SO to Eataly. Mario Batali's new Italian food emporium. It's an Italian food lover's dream market. Has all kinds of imported goods, baked bread, fresh produce, a tapas area, 4 restaurants, gelateria, and espresso bar. 

It's usually pretty packed with locals and tourists. We went for lunch at 2 and were told the wait for the pizza place was 1 hour. We didn't have much else to do that day so wandered around the market. 

Breads.

Meats. 

Finally got seated at the restaurant so we ordered Antipasti...

and shared a pizza. We were trying to be "healthy". 

The place is spectacular and I highly recommend visiting in you are around the Madison Square Park area.

And now I'm off to Ross' Japanese Business Assocation and Chinese Business Assocation's Hot Pot Party. The hot pot will help warm my frozen body considering it's 23F degrees but feels like 10F. Yay Midwest.