Chad Things

After 10 years in SF, and months of “about to leave” … I got on the plane yesterday and left San Francisco. The main reason I moved is because I want to be with Shayna as she starts grad school in Chicago. But almost as important is that I need a change. I need to change my career. I need to change my lifestyle. I don’t need to change my friends, I love them dearly. But it has been tough to change other things with friends doing soo many fun things in SF. I want to be serious about something, something I can sink my teeth into. For that reason I’ve decided to start studying for the GMATs which I plan on taking this fall, leading to MBA and Business school next fall. More on that in another post.

I haven’t fully digested this move yet, I feel like i’ve been just going through the motions. I planned a week alone in SF to pack and say goodbye, but it was over before i knew it. I did have my fun and i did get to spend some quality time with friends, for which I’m grateful. Specifically, I loved my surprise welcoming committee at the airport, Janine and Ben’s wedding (including an hour in the pool), Paul’s daughter’s first birthday (Free the Pony!), one last pub crawl in lower haight, dinner with friends, 2 days of outdoor music festival at GG Park, quality time with good friends for brunch, dinner, and one last hike on Mt. Tamalpais. And Big Ups to Juan for being a great friend for over 10 years.

Oh, and our roudtrip a few weeks ago from SF to Chicago was great. Shayna did an excellent job recapping roadtrip 2008, and i think my roadtrip pictures say it all. I do want to go back to Jackson Hole and Grand Tetons (give props to Tatanka), that place is BEAUTIFUL.

As i mentioned before, I moved to chicago. Chicago. Chicago, Chicago, Chicago. I’ll have more to say in a week or two. Till then, I got a wedding in Atlanta and a new apartment in Logan Square to get used to.

We are the party of Change. YES WE CAN.

Just a quick note saying … Done. I accomplished my goal, finishing the San Francisco Marathon on Sunday, August 3. Shayna surprised me at the finish with a bunch of my friends, snacks, and beer. What more can a boy want? We ended up hitting Zeitgeist for the rest of the afternoon.

I was sad that my body gave out on me - after running for 17 miles, my knees stopped working, to the point where when i run i would fall. So the last 9 miles or so i walked. My training was good - I never got tired, i guess i have to admit i’m not 18 and indestructible anymore. And since then, I haven’t been able to run more than 6 miles without my knees hurting again. Time to get back into biking …

I love me some hummus - Its such a great healthy snack with raw vegies or breads (pita, pretzels). I made the following recipe 3 times now, each time it was awesome. The fresh lemon really makes it stand out from store-bought hummus. This last time a put a bit more garlic and red pepper in, i think it was an improvement. Hummus recipe from cooksillustrated.com, picture is mine.

Note on creamy textures - I use a 40 oz blender, since I don’t have a food processor.  I double the recipe, spending extra time blending the chickpeas in the first step, pushing the chickpeas down, blend for 2 secs, repeat. After half the chickpeas are smashed, i add half the lemon water, blend till all chickpeas are smashed, slowly adding rest of water making sure to have a  smooth texture before adding tahini and oil.

INGREDIENTS

1. Combine lemon juice and water in small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk together tahini and 2 tablespoons oil in second small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside 2 tablespoons chickpeas for garnish.

2. Process remaining chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne in food processor until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, add lemon juice-water mixture in steady stream through feed tube. Scrape down bowl and continue to process for 1 minute. With machine running, add oil-tahini mixture in steady stream through feed tube; continue to process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

3. Transfer hummus to serving bowl, sprinkle reserved chickpeas and cilantro over surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until flavors meld, at least 30 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

We recommend Joyva or Krinos tahini and Pastene/Goya chickpeas (see related tastings). The hummus can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5 days. If you do not plan on serving it immediately, refrigerate the hummus and garnishes separately. When ready to serve, stir in approximately 1 tablespoon of warm water if the texture is too thick.

Here I am, the day before the SF Marathon and about to move to Chicago. The marathon has always been something I’ve wanted to do, and I’m glad I’m running it, but will be happy to have it behind me. Running has always been about exercise and stretching so my back doesn’t cause me trouble again.

After various goodbye parties and dinners, it finally hit home this week that I’m leaving San Francisco - perhaps because we finally started packing. 10 years I’ve lived in in SF, 13 years in California. I’ve grown up alot in California, met a ton of people, and had more fun than most people have in a lifetime. Yes, I’m sad to leave. I’m sad to leave a beautiful city - the parks, the victorian architecture, the awe-inspiring golden gate bridge, the wonderful hikes within a short drive, the myriad of outdoor options for weekend adventures. And the bay area people are smart, creative, helpful, tolerant, fun - almost too fun. And my friends .. too many to name, but they are all like my family. I will miss them but plan on seeing them by coming back SF often. We already got tickets for Halloween in SF.

I am looking forward to Chicago. A new chapter in my life. I must admit that I have felt like I haven’t grown much the last few years. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had alot of fun, met new people, and went traveling around the world - great things which I am grateful for. Give Thanks. However, Chicago will bring a new city, new friends, and a new job .. hopefully something that I can sink my teeth into. And hopefully Shayna and I not just survive, but flourish together.

A Toast To Change.

Oh, and for the record, Shayna and I are driving my Jetta to Chicago, leaving Tuesday August 5. Our route includes Salt Lake City, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Fargo, Minneapolis, then Chicago - I’m really looking forward to some chill time camping in Yellowstone. On August 15 I fly back to SF while Shayna stays in Chicago and looks for our new apartment. My solo time in SF includes a wedding, packing, seeing beck in GG Park, more packing, and having one last beer with friends (watch out). My last day as a SF resident will be Wednesday, August 27, when I fly out of SFO.